Bart B
@bart22.bsky.social
Retired planetarian 🪐 Astrophotographer 🚴🏻♂️ Cyclist • Civil War buff • cat person • also on Facebook • Chicago area.
5 Years Ago tonight, parts of the world observed an extremely close conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn. It was the closest that these two planets had appeared -- about ⅓ the diameter of the Moon -- in nearly 400 years. #astrophotograpy
December 23, 2025 at 6:00 AM
5 Years Ago tonight, parts of the world observed an extremely close conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn. It was the closest that these two planets had appeared -- about ⅓ the diameter of the Moon -- in nearly 400 years. #astrophotograpy
🪐 Saturn’s year lasts 29½ Earth years, during which time its rings appear to open and close twice.
#Saturn #astrophotography #Questar #astronomy
#Saturn #astrophotography #Questar #astronomy
December 13, 2025 at 6:18 PM
🪐 Saturn’s year lasts 29½ Earth years, during which time its rings appear to open and close twice.
#Saturn #astrophotography #Questar #astronomy
#Saturn #astrophotography #Questar #astronomy
The December Full Moon is tonight. It’s a Supermoon. . . and it’s lovely. But the real astronomical story here is its 75 degree altitude (88 from Miami)! You really can’t see it unless you go outside and look at the zenith of the sky! 🌕
December 5, 2025 at 6:03 AM
The December Full Moon is tonight. It’s a Supermoon. . . and it’s lovely. But the real astronomical story here is its 75 degree altitude (88 from Miami)! You really can’t see it unless you go outside and look at the zenith of the sky! 🌕
Twice in its 30 year orbit, Saturn’s rings appear edge-on as seen from Earth. Now is that time. My image was taken with an Olympus M4/3 camera attached to a Questar 90 mm telescope in west suburban Chicago.
#astrophotography #saturn #planets
#astrophotography #saturn #planets
November 25, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Twice in its 30 year orbit, Saturn’s rings appear edge-on as seen from Earth. Now is that time. My image was taken with an Olympus M4/3 camera attached to a Questar 90 mm telescope in west suburban Chicago.
#astrophotography #saturn #planets
#astrophotography #saturn #planets
Today’s artsy image from the Great Western Trail in west suburban Chicago.
November 15, 2025 at 12:03 AM
Today’s artsy image from the Great Western Trail in west suburban Chicago.
The late afternoon Sun illuminates autumn leaves on the Mallard Lake trail.
November 4, 2025 at 12:28 AM
The late afternoon Sun illuminates autumn leaves on the Mallard Lake trail.
Autumn’s colors are slowly unfolding. But today, the clouds stole the show over Mallard Lake in west suburban Chicago.
November 3, 2025 at 12:42 AM
Autumn’s colors are slowly unfolding. But today, the clouds stole the show over Mallard Lake in west suburban Chicago.
Autumn Fireworks (staghorn sumac) along the Hawk Hollow Trail in west suburban Chicago.
October 21, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Autumn Fireworks (staghorn sumac) along the Hawk Hollow Trail in west suburban Chicago.
This year, one of the few exceptions to an otherwise drab autumn palette is staghorn sumac, which is beginning to explode in color along DuPage County trails in west suburban Chicago.
October 19, 2025 at 12:54 AM
This year, one of the few exceptions to an otherwise drab autumn palette is staghorn sumac, which is beginning to explode in color along DuPage County trails in west suburban Chicago.
A meeting of ducks. . . at sunset.
September 30, 2025 at 2:21 AM
A meeting of ducks. . . at sunset.
Sunset on the Hawk Hollow Trail bridge.
September 26, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Sunset on the Hawk Hollow Trail bridge.
🚴🏻♂️ Tonight’s sunset on Mallard Lake.
September 16, 2025 at 12:53 AM
🚴🏻♂️ Tonight’s sunset on Mallard Lake.
Mallard Lake Sunset • 2025 Aug 20
August 21, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Mallard Lake Sunset • 2025 Aug 20
Sun-soaked Trees Under a Cool Sky. Mallard Lake. Bloomingdale, IL USA.
August 20, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Sun-soaked Trees Under a Cool Sky. Mallard Lake. Bloomingdale, IL USA.
13 Aug 2025. 4:39 a.m. CDT. The predawn Venus - Jupiter conjunction, with and without lines. Taken with Olympus camera and medium telephoto lens. Adobe Photoshop Elements was used for post production. Taken from west suburban Chicago. #astrophotography
August 14, 2025 at 3:39 AM
13 Aug 2025. 4:39 a.m. CDT. The predawn Venus - Jupiter conjunction, with and without lines. Taken with Olympus camera and medium telephoto lens. Adobe Photoshop Elements was used for post production. Taken from west suburban Chicago. #astrophotography
Tiny black dot on Saturn. Early this morning, I photographed a rather rare astronomical event, a shadow transit of Saturn’s largest moon Titan across its parent planet. This is a composite of two frames. Questar telescope /Olympus camera. Observed from metro Chicago. #astrophotography
August 4, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Tiny black dot on Saturn. Early this morning, I photographed a rather rare astronomical event, a shadow transit of Saturn’s largest moon Titan across its parent planet. This is a composite of two frames. Questar telescope /Olympus camera. Observed from metro Chicago. #astrophotography
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Opening to “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.
Photo taken on today’s ride. 🚴🏻♂️
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Opening to “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.
Photo taken on today’s ride. 🚴🏻♂️
May 12, 2025 at 4:36 AM
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Opening to “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.
Photo taken on today’s ride. 🚴🏻♂️
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.
Opening to “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.
Photo taken on today’s ride. 🚴🏻♂️
Tonight, Mars could be found amidst the stars of the Beehive star cluster (M44) in Cancer.
#astrophotography #astronomy
#astrophotography #astronomy
May 6, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Tonight, Mars could be found amidst the stars of the Beehive star cluster (M44) in Cancer.
#astrophotography #astronomy
#astrophotography #astronomy
Spring colors are beginning to “pop” on the bicycle trails in west suburban Chicago. 🚴🏻♂️
May 4, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Spring colors are beginning to “pop” on the bicycle trails in west suburban Chicago. 🚴🏻♂️
🚴🏻♂️ On my short bicycle ride today, the landscapes near Mallard Lake displayed both the greens of spring and the leftover browns of winter.
May 3, 2025 at 3:00 AM
🚴🏻♂️ On my short bicycle ride today, the landscapes near Mallard Lake displayed both the greens of spring and the leftover browns of winter.
#11. A 3-frame animation of the winter sky. My first frame was exposed about 10 minutes to show trailing. My second one was short to render pointy stars. A third frame (constellation lines) was added recently. Taken on Kodak Tri-X film with my Pentax SLR.
#astronomy #astrophotography #startrails
#astronomy #astrophotography #startrails
April 30, 2025 at 2:22 PM
#11. A 3-frame animation of the winter sky. My first frame was exposed about 10 minutes to show trailing. My second one was short to render pointy stars. A third frame (constellation lines) was added recently. Taken on Kodak Tri-X film with my Pentax SLR.
#astronomy #astrophotography #startrails
#astronomy #astrophotography #startrails
Tonight's 2½ day old Moon with significant Earthshine. Taken with Olympus m4/3 camera and 300mm telephoto lens.
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
April 30, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Tonight's 2½ day old Moon with significant Earthshine. Taken with Olympus m4/3 camera and 300mm telephoto lens.
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
#10. August 7, 1978: Here I caught a very close conjunction between Venus and the Moon. It brought back fond memories of a pre-dawn occultation of Venus that fueled my early interest of astronomy 4 years earlier. Taken on Kodak Tri-X film with my Pentax SLR.
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
April 29, 2025 at 2:28 PM
#10. August 7, 1978: Here I caught a very close conjunction between Venus and the Moon. It brought back fond memories of a pre-dawn occultation of Venus that fueled my early interest of astronomy 4 years earlier. Taken on Kodak Tri-X film with my Pentax SLR.
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
#9. November 24, 1976: In a melding of old and new, I combined my photograph of Rho Sagittarii (mag. 3.9) about to be occulted by the crescent Moon [outlined by my box] with a simulation of the Moon that same night, rendered by SkySafari software.
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon #occultation
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon #occultation
![November 24, 1976: In a melding of old and new, I combined my photograph of Rho Sagittarii (mag. 3.9) about to be occulted by the crescent Moon [outlined by my box] with a simulation of the Moon that same night, rendered by SkySafari software.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:rofzwlbexilb7su5ido4crrp/bafkreicrs7ui3uy5y7njtaqbe5z2lluiwayd6xnoepbxiaoebn7gdhq4qa@jpeg)
April 28, 2025 at 6:43 PM
#9. November 24, 1976: In a melding of old and new, I combined my photograph of Rho Sagittarii (mag. 3.9) about to be occulted by the crescent Moon [outlined by my box] with a simulation of the Moon that same night, rendered by SkySafari software.
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon #occultation
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon #occultation
#8. August 2, 1976: The face of the Moon is timeless, as seen here when I first mated my Pentax SLR camera to the historic 9-inch f/16 refracting telescope at Northmoor Observatory in Peoria, Illinois to capture its First Quarter phase. Taken on Kodak Tri-X film.
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
April 27, 2025 at 2:54 PM
#8. August 2, 1976: The face of the Moon is timeless, as seen here when I first mated my Pentax SLR camera to the historic 9-inch f/16 refracting telescope at Northmoor Observatory in Peoria, Illinois to capture its First Quarter phase. Taken on Kodak Tri-X film.
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon
#astronomy #astrophotography #moon