Australia Telescope Compact Array and surrounds

[epaell (Emil Lenc)]

Hi All,

I wasn't sure if this was the right forum to post this in as it is kind of between photography and video. I've been playing a little bit with time-lapse and video editing over the last week while I was Duty Astronomer at the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA). Playing with video is all quite a new experience for me but I had fun putting this together. I've captured a number of videos of, in, and around the telescope ... including an obligatory video of cockatoos taking a hayride on one of the dishes :-) Anyway, here is the end result:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsGJFlTFGhI

I hope you enjoy it. BTW, I recommend switching from 360p to 1080p and viewing it in full-screen mode. The music was inserted by YouTube (hence the abrupt cut-off at the end) and is titled "Song of Sorrows" by Alexander L'Estrange / Dan Hewson.

[iceman (Mike)]

Wow, that's a stunning video. I really really enjoyed that.

It looks like you're a pro at doing this stuff. Well done.

The blend of nature and sky really works well. More please!

and to IceInSpace!

[epaell (Emil Lenc)]

Hi Mike

I was aiming to give a feel of the entire experience rather than just focusing on the telescope or the night sky (which in their own right is quite amazing but I felt not quite enough for a 3 minute video).

I will certainly have to continue experimenting to improve on these first attempts. This instance was challenging because my tripod broke on the first day I arrived at the observatory so it was a struggle to keep anything steady. There were also other unexpected challenges that I need find ways to overcome, for example I wanted to make the night shots go for longer (and in fact I did) but after a few hours of shooting I went back to find my camera and lens completely drenched by condensation (and many of the latter shots blurred as a consequence). Actually, I was most concerned about the camera as this was the most expensive item I used to put the video together :-(

Thanks for your encouraging feedback - I'll definitely make more attempts in future and will post my results here.

Cheers,

Emil.

[iceman (Mike)]

Were you also having to work while doing these videos?

What camera and lenses did you use?

Were the videos and timelapse both done with the same camera?

How did you power the camera during the night?

I shared this on Facebook - loved it!

[epaell (Emil Lenc)]

Hi Mike,

As duty astronomer I'm basically on-call 24-7 at the observatory for a week-long period (it's a bit like jury duty, but more interesting, where radio astronomers donate 2 x 1 week periods over the year to help support the observatory). In most of the time-lapse shots I would set up the camera and then head back to the control room to help observers with their questions and set up. Every so often I'd go for a bit of a walk (when weather permits) and so that's when I'd get some of the animal shots. Sometimes there are maintenance periods where I'm free - but usually the antenna is not doing anything particularly interesting during these periods (there is one VERY windy shot in the sequence where the telescope was under regular maintenance).

All of the shots were done with a single camera (Canon 5D Mark II) - I couldn't afford any more ;-) I used two lenses which covered two extreme ends of the spectrum - a 15 mm f/2.8 fish eye lens and a 70-300mm f/4-5.6. I would REALLY love to have something like the Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 but it's astronomical price-tag is way outside what an average astronomer could afford ... plus I need to find a new tripod first.

I've got a battery grip for the camera which allows me to include two batteries - this seems to run for ages. I'm sure it would be sufficient to run for most of the night (along with a 16 GB memory card) ... if I could overcome the dew problems. BTW, I've read about people adding a heater on their lenses ... it sounds like an interesting solution but probably means I need access to more power ... and an appropriate heater.

Cheers,

Emil.

[xstream (John)]

Hi Emil,

Excellent video! Every time Anna and I go out there we always say we should bring the scope with us as the skies would be awesome. Alas your video shows the light pollution from the buildings would be something to be reckoned with.

[bartman (Bart)]

Emil, welcome to IIS
That is an absolute awesome video. You have done a truly amazing job!
You have combined Nature with Technology with a pinch of artistic flair.
I cant think of the word/profession right now, but you would be up there with all the professional people who edit endless reels of footage to make a watchable and enjoyable movie!
Thanks !
Cheers
bartman
I particularly like :
@38sec the bird playing with the twig
@49sec the 5 dishes moving in unison showing the the sunlight as a crescent on all the dishes
@1:05min the dishes nodding at the sky! as if to say "I hear you , I hear you , I hear you...."

[gary]

Hi Emil,

Thanks to the link for your fabulous video. This is exactly the right place to post it!

Beautiful compositions and lovely editing!

We usually get to drop in up there once a year and I always look forward to it.

What I particularly like is how you have turned the focus around. To a casual visitor,
what they 'see' are the telescopes and the technology and engineering associated
with them, whilst the natural environment is just something in the background.

What you have managed to do is place the focus on the beauty of the natural
environment and the telescopes just happen to be sitting in that landscape and in
particular when you see them 'looking up' at the majesty of the night sky, you realize,
like us, they are just spectators in a much bigger, much grander picture.

Your keen eye and the luxury of being able to spend an extended amount of time
there whilst you fulfilled your role wearing the Duty Astronomer hat, has enabled
you to see what the casual visitor does not.

The melancholia of the chosen sound track seems to sum up that sense of
us being surrounded by this amazing universe but left wondering whether we
will ever really understand it.

5 stars.

[bartman (Bart)]

+1 Gary...... I tried saying what you said, but you have explained what I really wanted to express.......in a much better way
Cheers

Originally Posted by gary

Hi Emil,

Thanks to the link for your fabulous video. This is exactly the right place to post it!

Beautiful compositions and lovely editing!

We usually get to drop in up there once a year and I always look forward to it.

What I particularly like is how you have turned the focus around. To a casual visitor,
what they 'see' are the telescopes and the technology and engineering associated
with them, whilst the natural environment is just something in the background.

What you have managed to do is place the focus on the beauty of the natural
environment and the telescopes just happen to be sitting in that landscape and in
particular when you see them 'looking up' at the majesty of the night sky, you realize,
like us, they are just spectators in a much bigger, much grander picture.

Your keen eye and the luxury of being able to spend an extended amount of time
there whilst you fulfilled your role wearing the Duty Astronomer hat, has enabled
you to see what the casual visitor does not.

The melancholia of the chosen sound track seems to sum up that sense of
us being surrounded by this amazing universe but left wondering whether we
will ever really understand it.

5 stars.

[suma126 (Shane)]

wicked loved every min of it

[gary]

Hi Bart,

Thanks for your kind comments. I think Emil's video was so good that it has left us all initially a bit lost for the right words.

Originally Posted by bartman

I cant think of the word/profession right now, but you would be up there with all the professional people who edit endless reels of footage to make a watchable and enjoyable

BTW, I think you just mean the noble profession of film "Editor".

For example, the people who might belong to organizations such as these -
http://www.screeneditors.com/
https://www.editorsguild.com/index.cfm?
http://ace-filmeditors.org/

For example, here is one of the best editors alive today -
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0774817/

Best regards

Gary

[bartman (Bart)]

yep thats the name!
And btw that is an impressive list of movies!
Maybe Emil will be up there one day?
Cheers'
Bartman

[iceman (Mike)]

I was blown away too Gary's words sum up my feelings perfectly.

[alexch (Alex)]

Very nicely done! Thanks for showing
Alex

[alexch (Alex)]

Originally Posted by epaell

I've got a battery grip for the camera which allows me to include two batteries - this seems to run for ages. I'm sure it would be sufficient to run for most of the night (along with a 16 GB memory card) ... if I could overcome the dew problems. BTW, I've read about people adding a heater on their lenses ... it sounds like an interesting solution but probably means I need access to more power ... and an appropriate heater.

Cheers,

Emil.

Emil,

When I don't have battery power for the dew-strip I use these chemical heat packs:
http://www.aussiedisposals.com.au/ca...3ecc6ae2030cc0

They have an adhesive layer and stick to the outer shell of lens near the front element nicely, seem to last whole night.

[bloodhound31]

Awe.

[h0ughy (David)]

love the frog in the finish - great shots all throughout

[epaell (Emil Lenc)]

Hi All,

I spent much of the day on the road heading back home. Wow, I didn't expect such a great response :-) I hope I can manage to respond to everyone ...

@xstream: Yes, the lights are a little bit annoying but there are still some good dark sections around the site. The biggest source of light pollution is from Narrabri itself (it's either the town or one of the refineries that's close to town and is lit up like a stadium) - these would effectively switch off close to midnight ... just as my camera would start to dew up :-(

@bartman: Thanks for your kind feedback. The bird (Apostlebird) playing with the twig was one of my favourites too ... unfortunately it fell out of focus in the latter parts but it was still hysterical watching it do its thing. They're not the prettiest bird out but they are fun to watch :-) The unison dish sequence is also one I like but it suffered from my tripod failure and so was quite shakey - I've tried all sorts of software to try and improve this in post-processing but none of it really helped as much as I would've liked. Interesting that you used the term "nodding" because this is actually the technical term we use for this kind of observing :-) The telescope goes between observing a nearby bright point-like source and the source of interest (the bright source is used to calibrate against instrumental and atmospheric effects).

@gary: Oh man, how do I respond to great feedback like that? I'm all red faced now ... or is that the red wine I just picked up from the Hunter Valley on the way home? I am amazed that you got my intentions spot on ... right down to the choice of music :-)

@bartman,@gary: Crikey - I'm not sure I'd ever be up there with such greats of the movie scene ... but I am having fun as an Editor ... famous or not :-)

@alexch: Thanks for the hint - I will definitely have to consider getting some of these next time I'm up there.

@h0ughy: The frogs are awesome - many live in the pot-plant pots on the second level of the control building (there are also a few scattered around between computers and cabling as well). I have absolutely no idea how they got there but each night they just half hang out of the pots waiting for insects to walk buy. They (along with the geckos) have been great companions over many a long nights at the observatory :-) There have also been snakes in the control room - they were not quite so welcome ... particularly the one they found under the toilet seat ... presumably looking for frogs ;-)

Cheers,

Emil.

[koputai (Jason)]

Mate, what are you doing wasting your time with radio, your eyes see light so beautifully!

Cheers,
Jason.

[Octane (Humayun)]

That was just fantastic!

Excellent use of depth of field.

H