Thursday, February 5, 2009

SKYWATCH FRIDAY (Make Believe)

When winter gets me down I often think about warmer times in my life, and what could be warmer than Africa? Not much, I can assure you! A couple of days ago, out of the blue I remembered one night several years ago, when I was fortunate enough to see a comet. It was a truly breathtaking sight, as if someone had dropped a single drop of white paint onto the backdrop of the inky black African sky and then swept the brush out behind it until it ran out of paint. It was such a stunning sight it took my breath away. I remember sitting gazing at it for a very long time and, as with so many of the things I saw during my years there, thinking how truly privileged I was to see something so rare and so special. Well I guess that image must have lodged somewhere in the back of my mind because as I was walking home from work last night I saw this..........


It kind of worked for me in an odd way! Because of the angle of the setting sun, the vapour trail of the plane was an amazing shade of orange. Well it made me smile at least!


And it was a pretty (if frigid) evening.


For Skywatchers the world over, go to the Skywatch Friday site.

Photo Credits - CJT

9 comments:

Guy D said...

Great captures, have a great weekend.

Cheers!
Regina In Pictures

Walker said...

Simple but beautiful, love them.

Anonymous said...

Still nice and beautiful. Works for me, too!

Pat - Arkansas said...

Thanks for sharing your memories of the comet. I can see why the brilliantly lighted vapor trail would remind you of it. Nice SWF photos.

Unknown said...

Contrails hold a special place in our imagination: especially when the light hits them just right, and you see them in action.

Louise said...

I've seen a few contrails that make me think of the comments I have seen, too. I will them to stay, but they don't. But the fleeting memory is particularly nice!

PJ said...

I love this! To catch it at just the right moment is so great! Happy SWF!

Celeste said...

Guy D - Thanks, have a great weekend too :)

Walker - Thanks, glad you liked it. Sometimes simple works best.

Beautiful - All it takes is a bit of imagination and it could be a comet, almost!

Pat - Thanks. Memories are so special aren't they? Happy SWF.

Celeste said...

Robert - When I see contrails I always wonder what exotic destination the plane is headed for.

Louise - You're right they are but a fleeting image.

PJ - Just lucky to be walking home from work at the right time :)