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krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
TomKrajci 🇺🇦 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️
@krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
89 followers 5 following 1.3K posts
Air Force Academy. Intelligence. Citizen Scientist. Glider instructor. Soaring over the Sacramento Mountains near Timberon, New Mexico. Black Lives Matter.

[bridged from https://universeodon.com/@KrajciTom on the fediverse by https://fed.brid.gy/ ]
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krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Part of the autumn Milky Way in Perseus.

This monochrome image is in blue light, which accentuates dark dust clouds.

2nd and 3rd graphics are from planetarium software and show the coverage of the image in the context of a larger piece of the night sky […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
The autumn Milky Way is full of stars, but laced with dark clouds that give it an irregular appearance. This is a monochrome image. The red wire frame box shows the coverage of the image. Some star clusters are identified here. The coverage of the photo in the context of a large portion of the night sky. Constellations are labeled.
December 20, 2025 at 4:17 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
One surface of one glider wing has now been covered with mylar gap seal tape.

Tomorrow I will flip the wing over and apply gap seal tape to the other surface.

#avgeek #aviation #electricaircraft #homebuilt #glider #diy #eaa #fairing #drag #aerodynamics
December 20, 2025 at 2:30 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
When is the first No Kings General Strike?

https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3maeptxik6a2p

#politics #uspol #trump #epstein #epsteinfiles #maga #fascism #fuckice #strike
https://bsky.app/profile/acyn.bsky.social/post/3maeptxik6a2p
December 19, 2025 at 11:06 PM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
I have mentioned before that the United States citizenry is having difficulty pushing back in substantive ways against the Trump regime with a nationwide effort. ("When is the first No Kings General Strike?")

I have told this tale from Georgia […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
https://universeodon.com/@theskyisnotblue.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy/115747536149064651
December 19, 2025 at 6:35 PM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
What's the difference between the photography filters Wratten 47 (blue) and Wratten 47B (deep blue)?

Number 47 passes about 3 to 4 times more light, so for light-starved astrophotography you probably want that one over 47B

But 47 does pass slightly longer […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
Two blue photography filters side-by-side. Wratten 47 is on the left and 47B is on the right.
December 19, 2025 at 4:31 PM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Gliders often go to significant lengths to reduce drag.

My flaperons are driven by a push-pull tube that exits the wing skin and pushes against an external drive horn. There are two of these setups on each wing...four external devices that need fairings […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
The flaperon push-pull tube exits the wing skin and is connected to an external drive horn on the flaperon at the trailing edge of the wing. This needs a fairing to reduce its drag. (Beyond the wing's trailing edge is shop clutter and equipment. On the wing is an old pink towel and a pair of left-handed scissors with orange plastic handles. The aft (smaller) fairing is temporarily held in place with blue tape. This is only half the battle. We also need a fairing on the forward part of this assembly. Both fairings are now in place. The forward (outer/larger) fairing has been glued to the wing's surface. The flaperon is near the lower limit of its travel. Both fairings are in place, and the flaperon is near the limit of its upward travel.
December 19, 2025 at 4:47 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Hydraulic jump in the atmosphere over the eastern half of New Mexico.

This animated loop from visible light weather satellite images this morning shows a middle layer of clouds over the eastern half of New Mexico. The location of the cloud is stationary […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
December 18, 2025 at 4:37 PM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Local Journalism - some levity as the Alamogordo mayor position is about to change hands. An award to the outgoing mayor.

https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/g/alamogordo-nm/n/352762/spotlight-stamina-award-local-independent-media-honors-mayor-paynes […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
"The 2nd Life Media Spotlight Stamina Award" - proving scrutiny is just another stage light. Presented to Mayor Susan Payne, who has endured the relentless ink storms of 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News with poise, persistence, and just the right amount of eye-roll. https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/g/alamogordo-nm/n/352762/spotlight-stamina-award-local-independent-media-honors-mayor-paynes
December 18, 2025 at 2:37 PM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Just before dawn a band of high-altitude clouds puts a ghostly glow on the night sky. (This is not an aurora.)

That cloud tells us that winds aloft are fast. This is not a lenticular cloud. It denotes the location of a hydraulic jump in a layer of the […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
The night sky is full of stars in the 10-second monochrome exposure. Trees are black silhouettes. A high-altitude cloud has a fairly distinct right edge, but the left edge trails away and fades back to clear sky in an irregular fashion.
December 18, 2025 at 1:19 PM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
The autumn Milky Way - east Cassiopeia and Perseus.

This monochrome image was taken through a blue filter to enhance the appearance of dark dust features in the star fields.

The second graphic is a sky simulation in planetarium software. The red wire frame […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
The Cassiopeia and Perseus Milky Way has many dark clouds scattered across it. Frame coverage with prominent objects and stars identified. Frame coverage (red wire frame box) in the larger context of the night sky.
December 18, 2025 at 3:44 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
How to monitor commentary of Trump's speech tonight:

#politics #uspol #trump #maga #fascism
How to monitor commentary of Trump's speech tonight How to monitor commentary of Trump's speech tonight How to monitor commentary of Trump's speech tonight
December 18, 2025 at 2:24 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
I need to make a cloth canopy cover for the glider.

Now that I have the canopy installed, I can measure overall length of the planned cover and the width at various points.

I'll lay out a pattern on paper that is 1/4 or 1/3 of the overall width...like […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
A yellow tape measure lies along the top of the glider's canopy. The canopy is covered with protective paper and edged with blue tape. The fuselage nose is at the right edge of the frame, which has two folding props covered in bright orange fabric. The garage floor is gray and behind the fuselage is the clutter of various equipment and sundry items.
December 18, 2025 at 12:47 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
The autumn Milky Way shows its interstellar dust better with a blue filter.

I only have a small size blue filter, so I'm only shooting with wide or normal lenses. Once I get a larger filter for the telephoto lenses, I'll get closer looks at various features […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
The starry night sky around the Cassiopeia Milky Way has much more texture because in blue light the impact of dust is greater. This blue filter is actually larger than needed for the lens I used tonight, so I used a step-up ring to make it fit.
December 17, 2025 at 3:39 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Near infrared can make Milky Way photos uniform and bland.

This telephoto shot with an 850 nanometer long pass filter was looking at a part of the west Cassiopeia (autumn) Milky Way that was interesting in visible light. Dark clouds blotted out portions of […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
A uniform and bland Milky Way star field because it's near infrared. Most dust obscuration is greatly reduced. Only a few small patches of sky are starless. This is a monochrome image. The red wire frame box shows the coverage of the photo. The star Caph is in Cassiopeia.
December 17, 2025 at 12:03 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
The autumn Milky Way in western Cassiopeia.

The central area of the frame is looking at an area with noticeable amounts of interstellar dust. The stars have a yellowish tint compared to the rest of the frame.

The second image is a very close crop of the […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
The Milky Way in Cassiopeia is rich with stars and star clusters...some nebulosity and a network of dark dust clouds. This is a close crop of the right edge of the frame. It shows two small areas that have so much dust that those areas are devoid of stars. A planetarium finder chart that shows some of the objects in the frame. The red wire frame box shows the coverage of the frame in the context of a larger portion of the night sky.
December 15, 2025 at 3:38 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Biathlon - that weird winter sport.

Cross country skiing and shooting? What happens if you miss a target?

You take a lap on the penalty loop for every missed shot. That adds about 150 metres distance, and about 20 seconds to your final time.

Here are the […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
A typical layout for part of a biathlon course. As you exit the range, and just before you get onto the 2.5km cross country loop, sits the penalty loop. If you shoot clean, you bypass that loop. For every missed target, you must do a lap on the penalty loop.
December 14, 2025 at 6:52 PM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Lost in Space.

A wide field view of the autumn Milky Way from the tail end of Cygnus on the left, to Perseus on the right.

With so many stars captured in this photo, it's hard to see familiar constellations. But you can see the Andromeda galaxy as a small […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
A night sky full of stars. The autumn Milky Way runs horizontally through it. It's brighter in the left half of the frame. Dark dust clouds add texture and detail to the Milky Way. The red wire frame box shows the coverage of the photo in the context of a large portion of the night sky.
December 14, 2025 at 3:36 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
A portion of the autumn Milky Way in Cassiopeia.

Essentially no nebulosity, only star clouds, dark clouds, and a handful of small star clusters.

This monochrome image is panchromatic - all wavelengths of visible light from violet to deep red.

#newmexico […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
This monochrome image is fully of Milky Way stars, with some dark clouds scattered about. A few small star clusters are in the frame, but with so many background stars the star clusters are largely lost in the mix. This planetarium software view shows some of the features in the frame. The red wire frame box shows the coverage of the photo in the larger context of the northern sky.
December 13, 2025 at 4:00 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
I left solitary footsteps on part of the Rim Trail today.

So far, this has been a snow-poor winter, but what little snow we've received has not melted away on the shaded north faces of the Sacramento mountains […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
An old, weather worn Lincoln National Forest sign identifying a section of the Rim Trail. The ground is covered with snow and a single set of footsteps are visible. The snow is in shade and it's a blue sky day, so the snow has a distinct blue tint. A few conifers are visible in the background. Snotel map showing that much of the western US is in a winter snowpack drought. https://nwcc-apps.sc.egov.usda.gov/imap/#version=2&elements=&networks=!&states=!&basins=!&hucs=&minElevation=&maxElevation=&elementSelectType=any&activeOnly=true&activeForecastPointsOnly=false&hucLabels=false&hucIdLabels=false&hucParameterLabels=true&stationLabels=&overlays=&hucOverlays=2&basinOpacity=75&basinNoDataOpacity=25&basemapOpacity=100&maskOpacity=0&mode=data&openSections=dataElement,parameter,date,basin,options,elements,location,networks&controlsOpen=true&popup=&popupMulti=&popupBasin=&base=esriNgwm&displayType=basinstation&basinType=6&dataElement=WTEQ&depth=-2&parameter=PCTMED&frequency=DAILY&duration=I&customDuration=&dayPart=E&monthPart=E&forecastPubDay=1&forecastExceedance=50&useMixedPast=true&seqColor=1&divColor=7&scaleType=D&scaleMin=&scaleMax=&referencePeriodType=POR&referenceBegin=1991&referenceEnd=2020&minimumYears=20&hucAssociations=true&relativeDate=-1&lat=37.293&lon=-110.070&zoom=5.5
December 12, 2025 at 7:35 PM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
No aurora tonight (8PM Mountain Standard Time) at 33N latitude, but reddish airglow was obvious to the north. Over time it drifted very slowly and became less obvious.

https://www.aurorasaurus.org/ was not reporting any aurora sightings at the same time […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
A sky full of stars has some reddish airglow clouds in the lower half of the frame. No significant aurora reports at the time the photo was taken. https://www.aurorasaurus.org/
December 12, 2025 at 3:57 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
A rich star field in the Milky Way between Cassiopeia and Perseus.

The upper right corner has the Double Cluster while the central part of the frame is a mashup of dark clouds and glowing nebulosity.

This monochrome image is panchromatic. It's all colors […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
A monochrome image of part of the Milky Way visible in autumn in the northern hemisphere. The sky is rich with stars, and a few star clusters are visible. Dark clouds are intermixed with glowing nebulosity. A finder chart from planetarium software that identifies some objects in the photograph. The red wire frame box shows the coverage of the photo in the larger context of the autumn sky near the north celestial pole.
December 12, 2025 at 3:26 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Examining the colors of stars and experimenting with different ways to portray this information.

The first photo is a star field in Pisces with the camera intentionally defocused. It's easier to see the color of dots than of very small points.

But a faint […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
Defocused stars are dots instead of points. These dots make it easier to see the color of the star. But the fainter stars appear to lose color/saturation. This is not an accurate portrayal of star color, but it's an accurate portrayal of brightness. The star image has been processed in HSV color space to make all pixels the same brightness. Now we can easily compare colors of bright and faint stars. An infrared monochrome image of the same star field. A combination of the color and IR images, with an offset. The stars look double. Blue stars have faint IR images. Red stars have bright IR images.
December 11, 2025 at 6:43 PM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Before you can race in a downhill ski event, you have to log a sufficient number of practice events to ensure you can race safely.

The women will start their 'speed season' in a couple days at St Moritz, Switzerland.

Today was the first practice run.

Who […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
Results of first practice day for the St Moritz women's downhill race this Friday. https://live.fis-ski.com/lv-al5013.htm#/follow
December 10, 2025 at 3:06 PM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
The Andromeda galaxy, M31, in near infrared. (The second photo is a visible light comparison.)

Near infrared sees through dust better than visible light, so all the dust lanes, texture and detail in the visible light photo are considerably muted in in near […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
In the near infrared the dust lanes in a galaxy are rather muted compared to visible light images. This is a monochrome image. The main galaxy is a spiral form, seen at an oblique angle. There are two smaller satellite galaxies bracketing the main galaxy. A visible light image, full of detail because of the dark dust lanes in the spiral arms.
December 10, 2025 at 3:02 AM
krajcitom.universeodon.com.ap.brid.gy
Mercury rising and the coming rosy dawn.

The first photo was taken during the 'blue hour' of twilight, but an airliner's contrail shows us that rosy hues of brighter twilight are only a few minutes away. Mercury is the brightest object, and we also see some […]

[Original post on universeodon.com]
Mercury in the cold blue twilight sky. A couple stars in Libra are visible higher up, and a jet contrail adds a small splash of pink to the blue sky colors. Conifers are black silhouettes. The sky now has warm pink tones along the horizon, and Mercury is the only 'star' we see near the top of the frame. Conifers are black silhouettes.
December 8, 2025 at 2:35 PM