A great night for recording sky quality readings!

 

Last night was a great one for recording sky quality readings. Only one day past the new moon and it was clear and cold. Zero cloud cover, but the humidity at 65% may have affected the clarity of the sky a little bit. Temps hovered between 2 degrees above zero and 2 degrees below zero. I took readings at a variety of locations, some in areas relatively near to artificial lights and some out where there are no artificial lights at all. There was one location where I saw a low level of aurora activity on the northern horizon, along with some lights from the village of Grand Portage. This location yielded results right around 21.0 and the locations I sampled within the village of Grand Portage were between 20 and 21. My best reading of the night was 21.57 and the worst was 20.10.  According to the meter manufacturer, the reading range typically falls between around 16 for bright urban skies to 22 for the darkest skies on Earth. Values in the 21-22 range indicate exceptionally dark skies. 

February Moon over Lake Superior

 

I was driving home this evening just as the sun was setting on the horizon behind me. To the east the moon was rising over Lake Superior, just above this impressive bank of clouds. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the pink clouds gave way to a purple sky and the moonlight began to shimmer on the surface of Superior. How could I not stop and make some photographs...

Some objects are further than they appear

 

On some days, Isle Royale looks like it's not that far away at all. Yesterday was one of those days. I made these photos on my way to work. The Island hovered above the horizon and certainly appeared to be closer than 20+ miles away. When I drove past the Susie Islands overlook, Rock of Ages lighthouse looked like it was only a couple of miles beyond Big Susie Island, when really its between 13 and 14 miles from Big Susie. Of course, these photos were made with a telephoto lens, which further aids in distant objects appearing closer than they do with the naked eye. 

Snow-covered rocks

 

It's been a while since I've come across a good abstract photo. This one was made while driving along a forest road. I came across a drainage that had some frozen water with snow-covered rocks sticking up above the water. It was one of those things that I initially drove right past but then decided to back up to make a photo. I'm glad I did!

Lake Superior Sea Smoke at Negative 25 Degrees Fahrenheit

 

Yesterday morning was the coldest morning yet of this winter.  As I was making these photographs, the outside temperature gauge on my vehicle was showing minus 25 degrees Fahrenheit. In such conditions, the water of Lake Superior is quite a bit warmer than the air directly over it, and that clash of temperatures generates an incredible amount of steam or "sea smoke", as a lot of people call it. On these mornings I love watching the steam as the sun rises. I get mesmerized by it. 

I spent two hours in this spot watching the light change as I could hear trees popping in the cold down below the overlook I was sitting at. I could also hear some ravens calling from the forest below. Even on the coldest days, there is life moving around out there. At one point, I could see a large bird flying around in the steam over the islands. When I looked at the photos on my computer, I could see enough detail in the wings and shape of the bird that I could tell it was an eagle. I could only imagine what the steam would look like from the perspective of that bird as it flew around over the islands.

Sea Smoke and Sun Rays

 

A beautiful winter sunrise over Lake Superior and the Susie Islands in Grand Portage, MN. I am fortunate enough to drive past this view at least twice a day, on my way to and from work. It never disappoints, but some days are more special than others and today was one of those days. 

Grand Marais Sunset - January 7, 2025

 

This evening's sunset in Grand Marais, MN. I didn't think it was going to be a very good one, as the sky was almost 100 percent clear. However, nature likes to surprise us and as evening approached a cloud bank appeared on the western horizon and by the time the sun was going down, it made for a pretty dramatic scene.