4x4tographer 2,930 Posted August 13 (edited) Hey everyone! Had a great night out with you all, checking out the sunset from the summit of Harquahala Mountain, taking in the glow of the Milky Way, and totally loosing it every time we saw a shooting star! What an awesome group of people to spend the evening with! @theksmith @alexshel44 @johnpa @Ladybug @ob1jeeper @snoopy61 @Bjparsons @kf7drq @gman @OnPointOffroad The night was "uneventful" as Harquahala night runs go (historically for us 😅) with a minor stop due to a flat tire on the way down the mountain. Big thanks to the group for jumping in and helping, especially @johnpa who is faster than a NASCAR pit crew. I didn't grab as many photos as I normally would have, but here's what I got. Looking forward to everyone's captures from the ride! To see them in full resolution, click here. Ladybug and Ob1 in the lead, followed by Snoopy and BJParsons. Snoopy making a switchback Alex rounding the bend Ladybug, Ob1, and Snoopy A look back at the road winding through the mountains Sunset at the top is always awesome! Waiting for nightfall - the glow of Phoenix on the right, Aguila on the left. A lot going on in this shot. We have the core of the Milky Way dominating the frame (summer is the best time for core shots). We have 1 meteor, streaking down top left. I suspect the one moving horizontally at the bottom of the frame is a satellite. On the far left we have an airplane (look closely and you'll see the flashing lights). On the right side of the core at the edge of the core-glow, you'll see an orange star with a bit of nebulosity/glow around it. That is Antares, one of our 15 brightest stars. It is part of Scorpius and known as "the Heart of the Scorpion". With a long lens, binoculars, or telescope you can see rich oranges and blues in this area - more so with a camera and a long shutter speed. Dead center of the core, the pink/red smudge is the Lagoon Nebula. A similar smudge near the top is the Eagle and Omega Nebulas. Another meteor dead center with a plane on the right. GMan's Gladiator. Note the Andromeda Galaxy just in front of the truck. That is our nearest neighboring galaxy, which is actually on a collision course with the Milky Way in a few billion years. :) The Snoop-mobile in the stars Some of the crew, taking in the light show. I'm counting 3 meteors in this shot + Andromeda. To the left of Andromeda and down a little, you have the Double Cluster, a bright region of stars. Edited August 13 by 4x4tographer 2 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 4,157 Posted August 13 spectacular photos Ryan! 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Stacey and Scott 1,228 Posted August 13 Okay...that's what you're supposed to see. Amazing shots! We saw one before the evil clouds denied us the veiw. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gman 49 Posted August 13 Had a great relaxing time yesterday. Enjoyed meeting everyone! It was so relaxing, that even watching Johnpa and the pit crew change the flat tire was relaxing and fun. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ladybug 505 Posted August 14 Awesome pics and a really great trip! Thanks Ryan for leading, and JohnPa for tailgunning! smiles, ladybug 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
gman 49 Posted August 14 9 hours ago, gman said: Had a great relaxing time yesterday. Enjoyed meeting everyone! It was so relaxing, that even watching Johnpa and the pit crew change the flat tire was relaxing and fun. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
