Thanks for the link to the books. Just finished downloading them and will start reading. Eric in Atlanta

NGC1514 is the 1514th listing in the 1888 New General Catalog of Nebulae and Clusters of Stars by Dreyer. It is a 10th magnitude planetary nebula in the constellation of Taurus and one of my favorite objects in the night time sky. If NGC1514 is up, I'll look at it.

As you may have guessed, amateur astronomy is my other big hobby. I use a 16" Starmaster telescope to explore the sky.

My scope set up and waiting for sunset.

http://ericpix.net/Online/Misc/scope_2.jpg

After a warm week in Atlanta, winter came back to town with temps dropping down into the 30s tonight. OK, I know it's a wimpy cold compared to what some endure, but... it's Georgia.

So, here's some bug photos to get me back in the mode of summer shooting:

Get a ROOM!

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/room.jpg

Found this guy just hanging around. I call it "Lunch."

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/lunch.jpg

Lived in this house for almost 20 years and had never seen one of these until last summer:

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/killerwasp.jpg

Ladybug tending her aphids.

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/ladybug.jpg

And a butterfly in the lantana:

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/butterfly_3.jpg

Come on summer!

I am really impressed with the focus stacks on here. The succulent is beautiful in its detail and color. Looks like I'm gonna have to do some reading on this technique and give it a shot. Eric in Atlanta

On the tubes... I think so, but don't recall the details.

I link to these photos on my own website, so EXIF data is preserved and attached to the images. I think a right click EXIF viewer is available for most browsers.

An Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina communis). The blue petals are 9-10mm (.35-.39 inches) long according to the Wiki on Commelina communis. Shot in Atlanta area with a 300mm f/4 Nikkor.

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/asiatic_dayflower_1.jpg

So I had this small drill bit in hand and saw a penny:

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/penny.jpg

Ant on a peony bud:

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/peony_1.jpg

Thanks, Douglass. I've been enjoying many of your shots. You do some very nice close-up stuff.

Eric in Atlanta

Not sure what it is, but shot it in an Atlanta park. The house key in the first image gives a sense of size. The flower itself was about 1/8th of an inch across. Shot with a Sigma 105 f/2.8 on a Nikon D300.

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/cs_5.jpg

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/cs_6.jpg

Eric in Atlanta

Not sure what sort of spiders they are, but believe the first one is a spiny orb-weaver. They are my only two spider images.

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/spider_3.jpg

I cheated a bit on this image. The spider is actually upsidedown in the original and I flipped him (or her) in PS for aesthetic reasons.

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/spider_4.jpg

I've owned Celestron telescopes since 1977 and am considered to be the go-to guy about Celestrons in the Atlanta area. If I may be of any help with your Celestron, please let me know.

Eric in Atlanta

A phenomenon most of us have seen at sunrise or sunset are rays of light shining from the sun and partially blocked by clouds. The rays are known a "crepuscular" rays.

Looking towards the sun:

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/rays1.jpg

And looking 180 degrees away from the sun:

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/rays2.jpg

Sunrise at the Gilbert Bar House of Refuge on Hutchinson Island, Florida.

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/hor.jpg

Had the pleasure of seeing "Liberty Belle" when she made a stop in Atlanta a couple years ago. Looking at the lovely lady, I was reminded of the poem, "Death of a Ball Turret Gunner" and incorporated the poem into one of my shots.

http://ericpix.net/Online/Hog/ball_turret_gunner.jpg