Jaw-dropping “nature” pictures

[Glorfindel Goldtress]

Kind of about "nature" ... sort of.
Poor little guy... I actually feel sorry for him.

View attachment 46009

@Tyelkormo the Fair This is what happens when Unhinged™️is Tyelcoon's life motto.

 

[Erurávennë]

It seems jaw-dropping nature scenes can be both big and small! 😂

Aerial photo of a volcanic eruption in Iceland.
View attachment 44527

It looks like a creepy skull with glowing eyes.

 

[Fingon_Findekáno]

Perhaps not as “jaw-dropping”, but here are a couple beautiful pictures I took of Orion last night. The full moon really casted a lovely glow around it!

 

[Deimos]

Perhaps not as “jaw-dropping”, but here are a couple beautiful pictures I took of Orion last night. The full moon really casted a lovely glow around it!

View attachment 46034

View attachment 46035

Had you raised the camera a bit higher in the 2nd pic (placing Menelvagor more at the center) you would have also captured the Remmirath (the Netted Stars) which are to the right of the moon and up a bit (at this particular date and time)

 

[Deimos]

Maybe not "jaw -dropping" but still.... 😍

 

[Deimos]

I found the story behind the photo via AI... (and I did verify it)
So here it is verbatim from the AI reply:

This iconic black-and-white photograph is generally recognized as a real photo taken in the aftermath of the
"Blizzard of '66" in North Dakota. It is considered one of North Dakota's most famous, non-staged historical images.
Here are the details regarding the photo:

• Who: The man standing on the snowdrift is Bill Koch, who was an employee of the North Dakota Department of Transportation. The photo was taken by his coworker, Ernie Feland.
• Where: The photograph was taken near the Windsor exit (Exit 245) on I-94 in North Dakota.
• When: The picture was taken in March 1966, following a massive winter storm.
• Context: The storm featured extremely high winds, which created massive snowdrifts that reached 30 to 40 feet high, burying railroad telegraph poles and telephone poles up to their top cross arms.
• The Story: According to Ernie Feland, who took the photo, they were out documenting the impact of the storm on the highways. They saw the massive drift and the partially buried pole, so he asked Bill Koch to stand by the top of it to show the scale of the snow depth.

 

[Deimos]

For those who have already viewed the above photo I've attached the story associated with it.

 

[Deimos]

No quite 'jaw-dropping", but still..... 😄
Actually I'd wager this is AI generated....

 

[Deimos]

In my very own home state, about 20 miles (32 km) due east of me...
(I've lived here 40 years and this is the first time I've heard about this 😬)

Superstition Mountains Cougar Shadow

APACHE JUNCTION, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Something is prowling around Apache Junction that gains a lot of attention during this time of the year.

“I’m hoping to see the elusive cat,” said Ralph Prosser, who came to the East Valley from Washington.

Arizona’s Family traveled to the far East Valley to see if our crews could catch a glimpse of Apache Junction’s unofficial mascot, “The Cougar’s Shadow.”

This legendary mountain beast is difficult to spot because it is not an actual animal but a shadow.

It only shows itself on the Superstition Mountains twice a year during each of the equinoxes.

“The way that the sun plays on the rocks in that canyon creates the image of a cougar chasing its prey down into the bottom on the canyon,” said Jack Olson, a photographer who has been capturing images of the majestic beat for several years. “This is my seventh year going out there, my wife thinks I’m crazy.”

The locals said the intersection near Goldfeld Road and Superstition Boulevard is a good spot to see the spectacle.

You can see it begin forming about 30 minutes before sunset. However, as quickly as it forms, it vanishes even quicker- gone into the night.

If you’re interested in seeing the shadow, locals say you can still catch glimpses of it throughout the end of March; otherwise, you’ll have to wait till September.

 

[Eljorahir]

As a non-photographer with only a cheapie camera, I think this might be my favorite of the photos I've taken.

Dwarf Spiderwort
April 2021

The clarity seen on the zoom-in is what makes it my favorite:

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

The Harpy Eagle just weirds me out.

 

[Deimos]

Looks fake... I know it isn't fake, but that is how odd it looks. 😬

 

[Fingon_Findekáno]

Looks fake... I know it isn't fake, but that is how odd it looks. 😬

That's how it looks when it has its feathers all fluffed up. Normally they're more streamlined, like regular eagles. They also like to hunt monkeys! 😁

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

The Harpy Eagle just weirds me out.
View attachment 48045

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

Found a friend in my yard

 

[Erestor Arcamen]

Image of the recent solar eclipse in Europe.

APOD: 2026 August 17 – A Golden Corona Eclipse

A different astronomy and space science related image is featured each day, along with a brief explanation.

apod.nasa.gov