Snapshots

Venus and Antares Seen from Southern Philippines

2013-10-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

I haven't been writing on my blogs lately because I'm busy. Anyway, another power outage last night forced me to go out and watch the stars. I missed the close approach of Venus to Antares, Scorpio's heart, on October 16. But I was glad to see the pair of celestial objects still close together last night.

This was a view of the southwest as seen over General Santos City. You can see that very bright object that appears close to the trees. It's Venus. Below it is the red supergiant, though it appears like a dot from us. That's Antares. They call it the heart of the scorpion. Unfortunately, the clouds obscure some of the stars of the constellation Scorpio. Can you make out the cosmic teapot in the upper part of the photo? This exposure renders everything bright, as though it was daytime. It would have been very nice we could see stars during the day.

I don't know what to think of these two photos. Our veranda is still under construction, so there's stuff here and there. A sudden urge to go abstract came to me last night when I went upstairs. Are these even abstract photos?

I couldn't let the opportunity to take another snap of the full moon pass. It was just there hanging in the sky, perhaps waiting for some earthling to behold its lone grandeur. Most people don't realize the sheer significance of this object. The earth would be a totally different place if the moon weren't here, and that's not because the evening would be less romantic without those moonlit lakes or that silver glow the moon casts upon the trees and hills. You probably wouldn't be here to worry about it anyway.

Stunning Photo of Nina on Her Show at Veranza Mall, GenSan

2013-07-08T06:10:00.001-07:00

Luck was with me during Nina's show at Veranza Mall. I was glad there was enough light that allowed me to take snaps of the singer at considerably fast shutter speeds. Anyway, when I tried pressing the shutter as those green lights swayed across the stage, the image below happened.

Nina Gives a Free Show at Veranza Mall

2013-07-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

I missed Jed Madela's performance on Veranza Mall's opening day. That was a frustration. So, I made a promise to myself that whenever any of my idols would perform anywhere in the city, I would be around. My mistake was I didn't check Veranza Mall's show schedules. But I was lucky.

My family and I had dinner at Mooon Cafe, and we were hearing the live band playing while we helped ourselves to the buffet. Then we took pictures beside the famous waterfall just like everyone else did. We were about to leave when we heard the emcee yelling Nina's name. Like most who were there, we hurried towards the stage only to be stopped by a raucous crowd in front of us.

She first sang a slow version of Alicia Keys's current hit Girl on Fire, which stirred the crowd. She sang a couple other songs, such as Adele's Someone Like You, Pink's Just Give Me a Reason, Tina Arena's Burn, and two or three other songs I can't remember. She finished her show with a spine-tingling rendition of Through the Fire. Her high belts drew screams and howls from a stupefied crowd.

I didn't take videos because I wanted to enjoy her performances.

Thank you for visiting this page. Please ask permission if you are going to use these photos. Or at least, credit me as the source.

Veranza Mall, GenSan's Green Mall

2013-07-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we went to the opening of another mall, another teen hub, in the city. The interior is very much like SM City's. Of course, the architecture is different. Take a walk on their veranda and you'll get a different feel. Wooden structures are there. The roof is made of glass. My only gripe is that rainwater was dripping from the veranda ceiling, because it was drizzling when we went there.

The mall is bragging it's huge man-made waterfalls. They say it's the biggest. I don't know whether it's the biggest in the country. Surely, it attracts shoppers, most of whom wouldn't mind taking selfies with either of the waterfalls in the backdrop.

Veranza Mall is an extension of KCC Mall. If you're at KCC, you can walk to Veranza by taking the pedestrian conveyor located between Jollibee and Pizza Hut on the second floor.

The Summer Triangle and the Milky Way

2013-07-06T19:37:00.001-07:00

I waited for a few months to finally see the beautiful band of the Milky Way across the night sky. According to the EarthSky.org, you can locate this band, this hazy band of our home galaxy, by looking for three stars that form an asterism known as the Summer Triangle. I saw it last night.

This is how it appears over the southern Philippines at 10pm. That bright star in the upper right is
Altair. The one above that pole is Vega. Deneb is one in lower part of the photo. The brighter region of the Milky Way extends southwards from this asterism.

This is the galactic center. Had it been truly dark, I would have taken a better exposure. This is why it is never recommended to take night sky photos in the middle of the city. Light pollution doesn't allow you to increase exposure. If you tried, you'd get a washed out night sky photo.

Some people look at the sky at night and ask, "where's the Milky Way?"

Baby, we're in it!

Abstract?

2013-07-02T08:45:00.002-07:00

Recently, I have been looking at patterns and presenting subjects in nonconventional ways. I don't know. I just wanted to play with composition. I'll say no more. Just look at the photos, and feel free to say anything in the comments section.

2013 Supermoon Seen from Philippines

2013-06-25T22:31:00.001-07:00

Supermoons happen each year. They are also called perigee moons because of their marked closeness to the earth compared with other full moons. A perigee moon can appear 14% bigger in the sky and 30% brighter. But to anyone's notice, it really doesn't stand out from any other full moon. Here are some of pictures of the June 23, 2013 Supermoon as it appeared over Gensan, Philippines. It was actually raining during that night, but the skies cleared up a bit and the moon showed itself though briefly. I took the opportunity.

My Birthplace

2013-05-10T23:42:00.000-07:00

Two days ago (May 9, 2013), we buried our grandmother in Lun Masla, a humble barangay in Malapatan. I've been to this place several times for more than 20 years. Our mom used to take us here to visit grandma and grandpa and relatives, but lately I've been too busy with work that I skipped visits.

On my grandma's burial, I saw the town again. It relatively looks the same over the years, with some changes and a few more shabby shacks. It was another chance to see everyone in the huge family--my grandfather, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Family friends were there.

During the procession, the crowd passed by this old manor where grandma and grandpa (who is still alive) used to live. This is where I was born and used to spend summer vacations at. This house reminds me of the good old days.

Not so far from this house is a wetland that teems with water hyacinth. What was once a pond is now showing signs of ecological succession (or so I guess) and is now turning into a vegetation-covered wetland, more like a marsh. The townspeople of Lun Masla call this Lamak, and I don't know what that local word means. It was good to see this spot again.

We left this place again, but this town will always have a special place in my heart not only because this is where I was born but also because I have fond memories here.

Full Moon Rises Again

2013-04-25T21:14:00.000-07:00

One nice thing about the full moon is that it rises so majestically over the eastern horizon just as the sun has set. For avid sky observers, it is such a dramatic scene. Well, it is a dramatic scene if you catch it. We don't always see a rising full moon here because of unpredictable sky conditions. Sometimes it's too cloudy to see it.

Here are some shots of the rising April full moon.

Another Photo of Last Night's Partial Lunar Eclipse

2013-04-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

I took 59 photos of last night's eclipse, and there are only less than 10 good enough photos. This is one of them. I adjusted the exposure on post-processing, because I underexposed virtually all the images. No other photo editing was done. I took this photo at 4:14 a.m., shortly after the peak moment of the eclipse.

Partial Lunar Eclipse Seen from Gensan

2013-04-25T19:28:00.000-07:00

I realized that only a few people are interested in celestial events, such as the recent partial lunar eclipse. Anyway, it wasn't that spectacular. Worse, it had to occur in the small hours of Friday, April 26, 2013. Charts indicated that the eclipse started around 2:03 a.m. Philippine Time, but I set my alarm for 3 a.m., around which time I would see the penumbral shadow of the Earth on the moon.

As the moon passes by the penumbral shadow of the Earth, its brightness decreases a bit, but untrained eyes won't be able to discern any difference. However, cameras can. Anyway, this part of the eclipse isn't so spectacular. Recalling the penumbral lunar eclipse on November 28, 2012, I can say it wasn't thrilling. Check out the photos of the Nov.28, 2012 eclipse here: 11/28/2012 penumbral lunar eclipse

The moon touched the umbral (darker) shadow of the Earth at 3:54 a.m. That's according to charts.

According to EarthSky.org, the peak of the eclipse is at 20:07 UTC or 4:07 a.m. Philippine Time.

Then the moon started slipping away from the Earth's shadow.

I called it a night at 5 a.m. Nothing really too spectacular about partial lunar eclipses, but I'm a bit glad to have recorded this celestial event.

Candles Still Burn in Gensan

2013-04-22T03:56:00.001-07:00

As the power outages continue to wreak havoc in the homes and businesses in General Santos City, people have no recourse but to endure the inconvenience. There seems no definite schedule for the rotating power outages. We get our power cut off any time of the day, or so it seems. When it happens in midday, we have to endure the discomforting heat, occasionally punctuated by cloudy skies. Rain is priceless these days.

At night we have no other option but to light candles and burn oil lamps.

No one knows exactly when this problem will be over. I heard the city government and the South Cotabalo Electrical Cooperative had already gone through the first steps in solving the crisis, but I'm not exactly sure what these steps are. I heard about buying generator sets to alleviate the current problem. Long-term solutions ought to be laid out concretely for the public to know. Nonetheless, this seems a snag in our progress that's probably going to linger for the years to come.

I went to Reyes' Haircutters three weeks ago but was surprised they couldn't serve customers because of an outage. It's an example of how much businesses today rely on electricity to operate.

As the power crisis continues and people in the city have no choice but to light candles, I guess candle makers are seeing a business boon.

Khalil Ramos and Pokwang at KCC Mall of Gensan

2013-04-22T03:07:00.001-07:00

My good friend gave me free tickets for another mall show that featured the budding, PGT-bred young singer Khalil Ramos and the comedienne Pokwang. Inside the venue we didn't have to wait too long. There were fewer games than usual. In the previous mall shows, games and front act performances would take about an hour or two, and the long wait can really irritate audiences.

This cute little kid won the mini-game they had before the show.

Of course, as soon as he appeared onstage, the people left their seats and gathered to the front to take a good look at or take pictures of Khalil using their small phones.

We felt that Khalil was a bit hoarse, but he sang his heart out anyway.

Pokwang was fun as usual. It seemed as though people in the audience were more excited to see her. Everyone just stood on their chairs the moment the hosts bellowed her name.

She talked about how she loved the energy of the crowd.

The usual recipe for mall shows involves picking a person from the audience and including that person in a performance. In the case of comedians like Pokwang, that meant doing silly things with the gullible person. In the last photo, you will see Pokwang attempting to kiss the guy. She, of course, didn't actually kiss him on the lips but on his cheek. haha

What the Likes of Enrique Gil Do to Crowds

2013-04-19T19:30:00.002-07:00

My good friend gave me free tickets to a mall show that starred Jovit Baldovino and Enrique Gil. I got decent photos of Jovit, but by the time Enrique walked to the stage, everyone had stood on their chairs.

This was how the crowd was like before Jovit appeared onstage.

They're on their seats and perfectly poised.

When Jovit walked onstage, people stood on their seats, but I was still able to get some shots.

The crowd became rowdy as soon as Enrique walked into the stage. These two shots the only ones I have of him.

These people are inconsiderate, but I can't blame them.

Here's a bonus video of Jovit's performance.

One Dreary Afternoon

2013-04-19T18:03:00.001-07:00

Another power outage renders my virtual workplace useless. Waiting for more than two hours for the power to return bored me to death. I took my camera, went upstairs, and looked for subjects worth photographing. I saw this kitty which was quietly taking an afternoon nap. As I could find no other more interesting thing and I already got tired of taking bird photos, I settled with this snoozing pussycat.

These photos are downsized for web viewing.

Have You Seen a Brown Shrike?

2013-03-24T04:40:00.000-07:00

One of the birds that I have been taking pictures of is the brown shrike. From afar, it looks like a yellow-vented bulbul, but upon close inspection, it doesn't have yellow feathers on the underside of its tail. It also has dark feathers around its eyes. Unlike the tree sparrows, glossy starlings, bulbuls, and sunbirds, the brown shrike isn't noisy. I haven't yet heard it calling other birds of its kind. I usually find it sitting quietly on twigs perhaps enjoying the warm breeze or watching people passing by the nearby street.

Do you know how a sunbird sounds like?

2013-03-23T03:31:00.000-07:00

Female Sunbird

We don't have hummingbirds here in the Philippines, but we do have sunbirds, small yellow birds which give out high-pitched calls. One particular type of sunbird that roams around the neighborhood is the olive-backed sunbird, characterized by its golden brown back, yellow belly, and dark metallic blue throat region (for males).

During two instances I caught this cute bird hunting for small spiders. It snatches spiders from their webs. But I learned that it also likes nectar, although I have yet to see one feeding on a flower nectar.

The same sunbird caught a small spider.

In my almost one year of observing birds around my place, I have recognized their sounds. The call of the sunbird is particularly high-pitched. You can quickly recognize it. Take a look at the video below.

My Sister's Eyes

2013-03-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

I have two sisters, who I can call cam whores. They love to have someone, usually me, take photos of them. A few days ago, the older one, in fact the oldest among us, asked me to take snaps of her as she was making poses in the porch. As I got sick of seeing her usual poses, I decided to zoom in the camera to her face, turned the image black and white, and then cropped it a bit. Here's the result:

Pan-STARRS: A Frustration

2013-03-20T19:39:00.002-07:00

It's sad that I no longer have a chance to view Pan-STARRS as it is disappearing from view from where I live. The best dates for viewing the tiny comet was sometime around March 10. It's moving to the northern skies and disappearing from the horizon of places in the tropics. Not having been able to see it in person or photograph it is a frustration.

One of the reasons why I didn't get a chance to see it is the lack of information on its location. From the first week of March, I have been checking the western horizon for signs of it. Reports on the web say it's too faint to be seen by untrained eyes. Others recommend binoculars. I don't have binoculars.

Much of the location information on the web was for people living in higher latitudes (North America and Europe). Skies look a little different if you're near the equator. Being an amateur stargazer, it was difficult for me to compare U.S.-oriented sky charts to what I see from where I live. General Santos City is about 6 degrees north of the equator.

Another reason is the unpredictable weather. During the supposedly best viewing days, weather wasn't good. To add to the difficulty, the western horizon seemed to be often hazy and cloudy.

Anyway, I have called off my search for the elusive comet. I'm looking forward to seeing its brighter sister, which is reported to grace earthlings sometime in November this year. I hope Comet ISON becomes a true spectacle, and not a mere speck.

While attempting to take photos of the western horizon, I caught a few snaps of a few stars. Four of them are in the photo below. Do you recognize that constellation of stars? It's Aries.

Have You Seen the Lunar X?

2013-03-20T19:13:00.001-07:00

Nothing is so special about the Lunar X. You probably won't see it by just looking at the moon tonight. You can see it through a telescope, but only during certain phases of the moon. The Lunar X is a sort of an optical feature formed when the sun shines on the craters of the moon from a very low angle. The lit parts of the craters and the shadows form an X as you can see in the photo below.

Click on the picture to see the X.

Identifying Objects in the Night Sky

2013-03-20T00:35:00.000-07:00

I’ve been having a serious fondness in taking night sky photographs lately. Of course, my photos can’t keep up with those of the pros. But why should I compare when I just want to have fun?

Last time I posted night sky photos. Recently, I tried identifying constellations in those photos. Since I was unfamiliar with the names and shapes of the constellations, I looked at night sky maps online.

Sketching constellations and naming stars in the photos were fun. I felt like a kid again. My passion for astronomy came back.

Six constellations appear in the photo above. Imagine how the ancient people saw the skies. They must have seen these patterns. After I finished sketching these patterns, I was simply in awe. The ancients would have seen a charioteer (Auriga), twins (Gemini), a small dog (Canis Minor), a unicorn (Monoceros), and a hunter (Orion) who appears to be chasing a bull (Taurus).

During these months Jupiter appears to be the brightest object in the sky after the moon, and it appears near Aldebaran, a red giant in the constellation Taurus, and Pleiades, a star cluster also known as the Seven Sisters.

This next photo was taken shortly after 9pm (facing northeast) while power was still out.

Canis Major is also known as the dog, and it appears to trail behind the hunter (Orion). The following photos were taken at different times and different angles.

Facing the south around 8:30pm on February 13, 2013, gave me this view. Look at the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius, and the second brightest star, Canopus. Note that Sirius is part of Canis Major.

Taking pictures of the night sky isn’t just for people with expensive gear. Check your point-and-shoot

camera if it has a long exposure mode. I’m using a point-and-shoot camera that has a manual mode, which allows me to adjust the shutter speed and ISO to get shots I want. The letdown is image noise, but even that doesn’t keep me from trying.

My next goal is to capture the band of the Milky Way, which is impossible to see or photograph from the city. I need to go somewhere where skies are darker and stars glow brighter.

Night Sky Views from Gensan

2013-03-17T21:31:00.000-07:00

The good thing about Gensan is its geographical location. It's 6 degrees north of the equator, so it gets good views of much of the heavens. The major constellations also pass overhead. Recently, I've had an obsession with the night skies. With the continuing power outages, which sometimes happen at night, there's nothing much to do except go out and take pictures--in my case. Clear skies at night give me the opportunity to take snapshots of the stars. Here are some of the pictures I have taken so far.

Photo taken on November 16, 2012 at 10:22PM

Two brightest stars in the night sky, Sirius and Canopus

Can you identify the objects in this photo?

The dog chases the hunter.

The bright object is Jupiter, and below it is the Pleiades star cluster, also known as the Seven Sisters.

In the next post, I shall include these photos again but with names and sketches of the constellations.

Crescent Moon Seen from Gensan

2013-03-14T06:27:00.000-07:00

I have yet to see or photograph a young moon, so for now I'll just have to enjoy looking at slim waxing crescent moons. Early waxing crescent moons are tough to photograph because they're not as bright as gibbous moons. Focusing is also a little tricky. Sometimes I manage to get decent handheld shots. I only use the tripod when I want to expose the earthshine. It's a good thing our house faces the west. Hence, it's easy to go outside to catch the crescent moon.

2/12/2013 6:24pm

2/12/2013 6:31pm

2/13/2013 6:07pm

2/14/2013 6:13pm

Darkness Continues in Gensan

2013-03-13T23:35:00.003-07:00

Citizens in Gensan are wondering how long they still have to endure the power crisis. Scheduled outages are still up and they seem to be getting worse by the day, with unscheduled power interruptions. Power shortage continues. I don't know if it's a problem our local government and power distributors could have prevented 5 or 10 years ago. Clearly, they neglected the issue, and so here we are reaping the inconvenient results.

During one of those dark nights, we have no choice but to light an oil lamp.

Capturing the Moon's Earthshine

2013-03-10T05:39:00.000-07:00

What I love about crescent moons is the so called earthshine, which is a faintly visible illumination of the dark side of the moon. It's called earthshine because it's the Earth's reflected light cast on the night side of the moon. In the past three days, I observed the waxing crescent moon and took photos of it.

waxing crescent moon 2/12/2013 6:32pm

waxing crescent moon with earthshine 2/14.2013 6:39pm