Whose Woods These Are, I think I know – OURS!

On October 3, 2021 By mvschulzeIn autumn, Back Yard, Explore, Home, Morning, New Jersey, Perspectives, Photography, Pondering, Trees7 Comments

Deep and Dark, an early October Day. Zoom in for a closer look.

Thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome. M 🙂

Getting a Grip On Things – Outside My Window

On April 2, 2021 By mvschulzeIn Back Yard, Birds, Close-Up, Home, New Jersey, Observation, Perspectives, Photography, Pondering, Spring, Telephoto1 Comment

Vine Grabs Tree, Claw Grabs Vine.

Photographed on 4/2/21

Thanks for viewing. Comments are always welcome, and zoom in for a closer look. M 🙂

MORE Fallng Snow Today – The Back Yard

On February 22, 2021February 22, 2021 By mvschulzeIn 2021, Back Yard, Home, New Jersey, Photo, serenity, snow, Trees, Weather, Winter3 Comments

Thanks for viewing and comments are always welcome. M 🙂 (2/22/11)

Whose Woods These Are…

On February 21, 2021February 21, 2021 By mvschulzeIn Back Yard, Color, Home, New Jersey, Photography, Pondering, snow, sunset, Weather, Winter4 Comments

I think we know, …Ours! And, as the sun sets, they’re full of snow.

Thanks for viewing, and comments are always welcome! Click on, or finger stretch for a closer look. M 🙂

Snow on a Limb

On February 9, 2021February 9, 2021 By mvschulzeIn 2021, Back Yard, Home, New Jersey, Oakland N.J., Photo, Pondering, Spring, Telephoto, Trees, Winter1 Comment

Another “Outside My Window” photo! (2/8/21)

Thanks for viewing, and comments are always welcome. M:-)

Got Snow? We do!

On February 1, 2021February 1, 2021 By mvschulzeIn Back Yard, Home, New Jersey, Observation, Perspectives, Photography, Pondering, snow, Weather, Winter4 Comments

Expecting about 1/2 meter – This image is .44m or about 17.5″ 6:00 PM, from NW Bergen County, New Jersey

Thanks for viewing, and comments are always welcome. M 🙂

Tracks in the Snow

On December 21, 2020December 21, 2020 By mvschulzeIn Back Yard, Curiosities, Home, New Jersey, Observation, Photo, Pondering, snow, Winter3 Comments

Car headlights reveal recent activity, as seen looking down from above our driveway,

and on our neighbor’s property, …below three foot wall to the right.

Thanks for viewing, comments are always welcome, and Happy Holidays! M 🙂

In Search of Pluto

On October 17, 2020 By mvschulzeIn 1960's, Astronomy, Back Yard, Corvid-19, Curiosities, Exploring, Home, New Jersey, Observation, Pandemic, Perspectives, Pondering, Remembering, Science, telescope, Uncategorized, Weather5 Comments

A tale from over fifty years ago!

Using this 10″ (255mm) reflector telescope, and a simplistic chart published in Sky and Telescope magazine, I would try to confirm seeing Pluto, …a difficult star-like pinpoint at the edge of visibility. Observing from my suburban town only twenty miles (32 km) N.W. from the brightness of New York City, proved challenging.

A second observation from a considerably darker location was planned as Pluto would have slightly changed position amongst the same stars. But it didn’t happen as unfavorable weather conditions persisted for several weeks.

ABOVE: As seen in the eyepiece, …a rough drawing of visible stars in the area of where I believed Pluto was located. The arrows, particularly “G,” indicated possible candidates. I estimated *magnitude* *14,* (the published approximate magnitude, or brightness of Pluto,) was about the faintest I could see at the time.

ABOVE: Compare the sketch to this same very small area in the constellation Leo, as shown from “Google Sky,” a searchable photographic atlas available free on-line, and certainly not available back then!

Did I see Pluto? Maybe, or maybe not. I recently concluded there was not sufficient evidence for me to comfortably confirm a sighting. But re-visiting this event from an “armchair viewpoint” so many years later, was …an interesting way to pass the time during this pandemic year.

Special thanks to “Cosmic Focus,” an advanced amateur astronomer/imager from Australia, for providing the incentive to re-visit this quest, …and guiding me to to the current charting resources available today. His wonderful captures of Pluto and a keyway to a remarkable WordPress site can be found here or https://cosmicfocus.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/pluto-the-previous-planet.

Thanks also for viewing. Comments are always welcome, and you can zoom in for a closer look. M 🙂