accadacca
03-02-2011, 02:06 PM
dailymail.co.uk - An amateur photographer has stunned astronomers by capturing these majestic images of the Milky Way.
Carl Jones, 36, ventured into Snowdonia National Park after dark and photographed the striking cluster of stars, which stretch in straight lines either side of a dark void.
His images, which are wonderful shades of purple, red and white, have the sharp silhouettes of hills and lakes in the foreground.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/02/28/article-0-0D679C7D000005DC-523_470x703.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/02/28/article-0-0D679C87000005DC-971_470x703.jpg
Worth the effort: Carl Jones regularly ventured into Snowdonia National Park after dark and patiently waited for the perfect opportunities to photograph the Milky Way
Mr Jones, from Rhyd-y-Clafdy, North Wales, said: 'The photographs were taken at one of my favourite locations in Snowdonia, Llyn Y Dywarchen.
'I've always been fascinated by the stars and night sky so I don't mind taking my camera up a mountain in the evening.
'I leave the shutter open and just sit in awe of it all.'
More...
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He added: 'Anyone can see the Milky Way. You just need to head out somewhere dark, which is easier said than done for many people, and let your eyes adjust for ten minutes.
'It appears as a dusty, cloud-line across the sky.
'Through the centre of the Milky Way is a dark area, which one may mistake as being devoid of stars but it's actually an area I believe is referred to as the Great Rift.
'Light is unable to escape through a number of dark nebulae which are present there.'
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/02/28/article-1361482-0D679C71000005DC-978_964x633.jpg Watch the skies: Father-of-two Mr Jones pursues his hobby after his children have gone to bed
Mr Jones heads to the park to take photos when his children, aged seven and ten, are asleep in bed.
His photos show clusters of stars in a starfield, or a star trail, which shows the movement of the earth through the sky.
He said: 'I've always been fascinated by star trail images.
'People think it shows the stars moving through the sky, whereas in reality what they display is the rotation of the earth, with the stars staying relatively stationary.'
He added: 'There's no point getting pictures of a blank piece of sky full of stars, you need something in the foreground to lead people through the image.
'Fortunately, living so near to Snowdonia means there's no shortage of lakes, mountains and churches to use as foreground interest.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1361482/Amazing-images-Milky-Way-captured-amateur-astronomer-hills-Snowdonia.html#ixzz1FTzIly2m
Carl Jones, 36, ventured into Snowdonia National Park after dark and photographed the striking cluster of stars, which stretch in straight lines either side of a dark void.
His images, which are wonderful shades of purple, red and white, have the sharp silhouettes of hills and lakes in the foreground.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/02/28/article-0-0D679C7D000005DC-523_470x703.jpg
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/02/28/article-0-0D679C87000005DC-971_470x703.jpg
Worth the effort: Carl Jones regularly ventured into Snowdonia National Park after dark and patiently waited for the perfect opportunities to photograph the Milky Way
Mr Jones, from Rhyd-y-Clafdy, North Wales, said: 'The photographs were taken at one of my favourite locations in Snowdonia, Llyn Y Dywarchen.
'I've always been fascinated by the stars and night sky so I don't mind taking my camera up a mountain in the evening.
'I leave the shutter open and just sit in awe of it all.'
More...
Extraordinary close-up reveals sponge-like surface of Saturn moon (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1361379/Extraordinary-close-reveals-sponge-like-surface-Saturn-moon-Hyperion.html)
He added: 'Anyone can see the Milky Way. You just need to head out somewhere dark, which is easier said than done for many people, and let your eyes adjust for ten minutes.
'It appears as a dusty, cloud-line across the sky.
'Through the centre of the Milky Way is a dark area, which one may mistake as being devoid of stars but it's actually an area I believe is referred to as the Great Rift.
'Light is unable to escape through a number of dark nebulae which are present there.'
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/02/28/article-1361482-0D679C71000005DC-978_964x633.jpg Watch the skies: Father-of-two Mr Jones pursues his hobby after his children have gone to bed
Mr Jones heads to the park to take photos when his children, aged seven and ten, are asleep in bed.
His photos show clusters of stars in a starfield, or a star trail, which shows the movement of the earth through the sky.
He said: 'I've always been fascinated by star trail images.
'People think it shows the stars moving through the sky, whereas in reality what they display is the rotation of the earth, with the stars staying relatively stationary.'
He added: 'There's no point getting pictures of a blank piece of sky full of stars, you need something in the foreground to lead people through the image.
'Fortunately, living so near to Snowdonia means there's no shortage of lakes, mountains and churches to use as foreground interest.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1361482/Amazing-images-Milky-Way-captured-amateur-astronomer-hills-Snowdonia.html#ixzz1FTzIly2m