Milky Way from Yulara

[zafra52]

I took this picture last week. In reality it's a composed image of 22 individual pictures each taken for 20 seconds and one second apart of the night sky in Yulara, the resort complex that serves the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. I was fortunate to have a night with no moon and this is the result which I hope you like it.

[gstark]

I'm sorry, but you've been traveling?

How is that even possible?

I suspect that most of us here in NSW lockdown will be jealous.

There's no way that one can comment about the lighting here; nature is doing its best for you, and it shows.

Nice work

[zafra52]

Thank you Gary. Yes, you are right I traveled to the Northern Territory two weeks ago. I wasn't sure it was going to happen with the border closing and flight cancellations; it was touch and go. Luckily for us,our illustrious Anna did not pick up a fight with Michael Gunner, being busy having a spat with Gladys Berejiklian so our main problem was Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin cancellations. There were eight or ten.

The year before last, four of us booked a trip to go to Europe and the south of Spain for spring last year. Well, it didn't happened so we had a year to use the credit we accumulated. Neither of us had gone to see Uluru, Kata Tjuta or King Canyon so this small tour was offered to us to spend our accumulated credit with our tour operator and, we took it. It was fantastic! So there you have it, we spent in four days in the red center of Australia (Northern Territory) what we would had spent in 12 days of hotels, monuments, meals and traveling in Andalusia. But, it was worth it!

I look forward to the day we can get over this border closures and are free to travel freely around Australia, at least.

[gstark]

Mazel tov.

we spent in four days in the red center of Australia (Northern Territory) what we would had spent in 12 days of hotels, monuments, meals and traveling in Andalusia.

And people wonder why many of us choose to travel OS rather than tour locally. I find that the costs of local travel can be very expensive, especially when you consider that, for instance, hotel costs in Sydney can rival those of London and NYC. Like, really? ATM, we can't even visit grandchildren just 15k away in another part of Sydney, let alone leave the state, let alone get out of the bloody country. It's nigh on two years since our last trip, and I'm not expecting to travel OS for at least another year, although I'm hopeful but not confident that my Seattle based son may visit us within that timeframe.

[zafra52]

I'm hopeful but not confident that my Seattle based son may visit us within that timeframe

Let's hope so. Australia cannot survive being quarantined for much longer.

[ozimax]

Great photo Zaffs. Must have been spectacular. Spent a week in Katherine in early June when travel was possible from Coffs.

As for lockdowns, they better end soon or something will give. People can only take them for so long. We are incredibly blessed that all our grandkids live in Coffs and we see them regularly, even if we have to walk on the beach with and "exercise". Eldest daughter lives in Sydney and we haven’t seen her in ages. Here’s hoping.

[zafra52]

Thank you Ozi. What you see with the naked eye is lots of stars and a long milky stain like a very pale cloud; even so it's magnificent. I have never seen so many stars in my life and possibly I will never will. If you were able to keep your eyes open for longer that 20 seconds and be perfectly still (not even a heart beat) like a camera on a tripod, you might be able to see something similar. Remember, that picture above is the result of 22 pictures stacked each with an ISO of 3200, f2.8 and 20 second aperture. This picture is a perfect example of what the camera can see and the human eye can not. Besides, it is quite possible that some stars are repeated in the image because in the process of taking the 22 photos the stars moved position and the stack software might have considered them as different stars.

I agree with you. Once most people are vaccinated they will have to invent new excuses to keep borders closed, but they won't. There are only so much people and business can put up with. Just think how sweet it will be to finally hold your daughter in your arms. You have something to look forward to. Thanks to Facetime or WhatApp!

Now, I read this morning and also came on the ABC news that an American pharma has come out with an antiviral pill to fight the flue and it is very effective against covid-19 sick people. They gave the pill to 775 people sick with Covid-19 within the first five days of showing the symptoms . All those that received the pill had milder symptoms and no one died; but, of those taking the placebo pill 8 people died. Dr Fauci said it is a promising drug to treat people and if the data collected can be verified it should be fast track for approval. I appears the US government has already ordered a few million doses, if it gets approved by the drug administration.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2021/10/02/merck-pill-treats-covid/