Tenebrae Moon, March 23, 2016

Gorgeous moon last night and tons of clouds. I managed to get a few photos, but couldn't see the conjunction with Jupiter. Still, pretty decent for a super bright moon and for a Canon powershot and no telescope! :-)

In Calm and Storm

"There are some things you learn best in calm and some in storm."

~ Willa Cather

View of the Rapti river in Chitwan, Nepal at the edge of the Tharu village

Jan. 22 Midnight Moon

Last night / this morning around midnight, the beautiful moon peeked through a windy sky full of cloud cover. These are three of my photos from my Canon Powershot 50x zoom :-)
I love that little camera! These I've posted here are copied from my FB post so quality isn't as fabulous as the raw file on my laptop at home, but still looks decent enough.

#AdventWord #WONDER - "I Wonder as I Wander"

Today's #AdventWord is #WONDER
This word, especially in the season of Advent, makes me immediately recall the choral piece I Wonder as I Wander. So, I share the text and two versions here. 
1. Sung by the classy Julie Andrews HERE
2. Choral version sung by the Cambridge Singers under John Rutter's direction - HERE
About I wonder as I Wander 
From John Jacob Niles' visit to Murphy, North Carolina in the early 1930's, and later published in his collection entitled, Songs of the Hill Folk, this song is hauntingly beautiful. A true Appalachian lament.

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die

For poor on'ry people like you and like I;

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

When Mary birthed Jesus 'twas in a cow's stall

With wise men and farmers and shepherds and all

But high from God's heaven, a star's light did fall

And the promise of ages it then did recall.

If Jesus had wanted for any wee thing

A star in the sky or a bird on the wing

Or all of God's Angels in heaven to sing

He surely could have it, 'cause he was the King

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

How Jesus the Saviour did come for to die

For poor on'ry people like you and like I;

I wonder as I wander out under the sky

‪#‎Episcopal‬ ‪#‎Anglican‬ ‪#‎SSJE‬ ‪#‎EDOLA‬ AdventWord was created by SSJE (The Society of St. John the Evangelist) and is the Anglican Communion's Global Advent Calendar. I'm using it as a daily meditation, prayer, photo post, and a way to connect in spirit to millions during this season of light and hope. You can join me in creating your own. Just take a picture and post it with the day's AdventWord tags! Click HERE for their website and for their daily AdventWords.

Moon and Venus, December 7, 2015

Canon Powershot 50X, not too shabby for a powershot!

#AdventWord #WORSHIP

Today's #AdventWord is #WORSHIP - Friday, December 4, 2015

AdventWord was created by SSJE (The Society of St. John the Evangelist) and is the Anglican Communion's Global Advent Calendar. I'm using it as a daily meditation, prayer, photo post, and a way to connect in spirit to millions during this season of light and hope. You can join me in creating your own. Just take a picture and post it with the day's AdventWord tags! Click HERE for their website and for their daily AdventWords.

#AdventWord #SSJE

NOLA November Moon

Some of my photos of this evening's almost-full moon, November 23, 2015. Canon Powershot, 50X zoom. Not too shabby for an automatic!

Photo by Caroline Carson

Photo by Caroline Carson

Photo by Caroline Carson

Photo by Caroline Carson

Ideas for World Space Week! October 4-10, 2015

IT'S WORLD SPACE WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This post is written for those who may not have World Space Week activities in their areas or the ability to travel to an activity. World Space Week #WSW2015 is from October 4-10.

“The General Assembly declares 4 to 10 October World Space Week to celebrate each year at the international level the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition.”
~ UN General Assembly resolution, 6 December 1999

Founded in 1999, World Space Week has grown larger each year and often has an annual theme. In 2013, there were more than 1400 events in 80 countries! Last year's 2014 theme was a new satellite navigation theme “Space: Guiding Your Way”, aiming to inspire millions! Check out this link to see events in your area or to search for specific events. This year's theme is "DISCOVERY" "The theme for 2015, “Discovery” celebrates the exciting discoveries in space, teaching us a lot about our origins and our future." (from website)

I hope you enjoy these space-related ideas - It's certainly not a comprehensive list, but just a few suggestions from yours truly :-)

The Pleiades Deep and Dusty
Image Credit & Copyright: David Lane

- Go outside & look up! Honestly, this most basic activity is often forgotten!
- Join The Planetary Society
- Find when the ISS passes overhead & wave at it!
- Watch a space movie such as THE MARTIAN (I personally LOVED IT!)
- Check out the tags #Mars and #JourneyToMars on twitter
- Write a poem or read a poem about space, the sky, or technology each day
- Plan a trip to one of several NASA, CSA, ESA, or other space facilities!
- Check out NASA TV, Star Walk, & all sorts of Space apps - there are so many!
- Write a THANK YOU LETTER to a space agency or an astronaut. Make a copy for your senator, governor, or school.
- Think about the Universe and our place in it for one solid minute!
- Check out NASA's EYES ON THE SOLAR SYSTEM - http://eyes.nasa.gov/index.html
- Donate space-themed toys to children and/or education programs
- Write to your government asking support for your national space agency
- Wear a space t-shirt
- Science lesson plans for kids
- Watch a documentary about space
- Support STEM Education and the STEM Education Coalition
- Read about human space flight - Here's one site
- Check out http://www.spaceflightnow.com/
- Listen to the sounds of space - Voyager, The Sun, a Meteor Shower
- Follow space organizations on social media and keep up with posts
- Make plans to visit a planetarium or local observatory if there are any in your area
- Look into your local astronomy society and check their activities
- Check out NASA's SPACE PLACE and activities, printable PDFs
- Learn about one astronaut each day this coming week. Here are some NASA astronauts
- Drive out to where the sky is dark and spend the evening stargazing
- Read an article about space
- Sign up for an online astronomy class - such as this one or this one
- Check out some astronaut and space facts here
- Learn about current missions
- SPACE-THEMED BAKING - someone needs to do this for me, LOL!
- Make a solar system in an arts & crafts project
- Listen to Holst's "The Planets"
- visit the NASA JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) website
- Other NASA space education activities
- Leave other suggestions in the comments or send me a tweet!
- Again, go outside & look up!

Filaments of the Vela Supernova Remnant
Image Credit & Copyright: Angus Lau, Y Van, SS Tong (Jade Scope Observatory)
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap131001.html

GALAXIES!

I cannot get over this image. SO. MANY. GALAXIES. We are so small!!!

Hubble Ultra Deep Field 2014
Image Credit: NASA, ESA, H.Teplitz and M.Rafelski (IPAC/Caltech),
A. Koekemoer (STScI), R. Windhorst(ASU), Z. Levay (STScI)

An Anglican Prayer at the Close of Day

Look down, Lord, from your heavenly throne. Illuminate the darkness of this night with your celestial brightness, and from us, the children of light, banish for ever the deeds of darkness. God our judge and our teacher, let us not waste time when the day is done in guilt or self-reproach. Give us rather the courage to face whatever has been, 

accept forgiveness, and move on to something better. 

Amen. 

~ From the New Zealand Prayer Book
~ Image: http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap140611.html 

Three Galaxies over New Zealand 

Image Credit & Copyright: Mike Mackinven

Our Moon 3/28/15

Here's my photo of our moon from Saturday, march 28, 2015. I'll probably update this with the hi-res image later today (3/30). Canon Powershot (50X)

CCarson 3.28.2015

This is Another Day, O Lord

This is another day, O Lord. I know not what it will bring forth, but make me ready, Lord, for whatever it may be. If I am to stand up, help me to stand bravely. If I am to sit still, help me to sit quietly. If I am to lie low, help me to do it patiently. And if I am to do nothing, let me do it gallantly. Make these words more than words, and give me the Spirit of Jesus. Amen.
#Episcopal #prayer #morning #adventure #sky #EDOLA

Just Plane Fun :-)

Call me crazy, but I love taking photographs from my plane trips. I thought I'd post some here since I took a bazillion on my past two trips. :-)

Delta flight over Lake Ponchartrain New Orleans

A collage of plane shadows as we land

Waiting to taxi away from ATL

Heading back to NOLA in the clouds

On the way from DFW to SLC, it looks like somebody's playing PacMan down there!

Our star shining brightly above the clouds from MSY to DFW

CLOUDS!

CHS to ATL

For the communion of saints, in all times and places, We thank you, Lord

“For the communion of saints, in all times and places, We thank you, Lord.”

Milky Way Over the Church by Linda Trine
Buy a copy HERE
Photo found on FB & online at Yes, You Can See the Milky Way