Explanation:
Why would the dome of a telescopic observatory appear translucent red?
As one of the telescopes of the
Etscorn Observatory of
New Mexico Tech
waited to inspect small portions of the night sky, playful observers
decided to make this unusual image.
Tricks needed to create this
seemingly impossible shot included
opening the observatory dome slightly,
using a red light to illuminate the inside of the dome,
spinning the dome, and using a
long exposure.
The open slit in the dome then allowed the camera to incrementally
image the inside of the observatory, including the telescope.
A fortuitous break in the clouds allowed the stars of the
Big Dipperasterism
to shine through.
