Icycle

The pattern of the trees refracting in the icycle was really cool.

March

Murphy Dome after sunset.

Planetary Twilight

Jupiter and Venus shining bright after sunset as twilight takes over on a cold, cold night on Murphy Dome. The "blue hour" lasts a very long time in the interior of Alaska for most of the fall, winter, and spring.

Starry Night

Jupiter and Venus are the bright ones on the right.

Spruce Stand

Twilight over Murphy Dome

March

Taken on Murphy Dome on a really cold evening in March, around 30 below. My toes got pretty cold. Those two bright spots to the left are Jupiter and Venus.

Orion and Pleiades over Murphy Dome

Aurora just off the horizon and a few satellites flying by. This was taken on Murphy Dome in March 2012.

lights on the horizon

A small stand of spruce on a cold winter night on Murphy Dome with the aurora borealis slowly making it's way out into the sky.

March - Almost Conjunction

Night falls on Murphy Dome outside Fairbanks, Alaska just a few days before the conjuction of Jupiter and Venus (right of the trees). The next conjunction of these two planets will occur August 18, 2014 - just as it's getting dark enough to see them from the Alaska Interior! (Photo - March 2012)

A bit of aurora comes out and hugs the horizon.

The Stars Come Out

We were exploring the top of Murphy Dome, looking for good places to photograph the aurora. The northern lights didn't do much that night, but it was one of the most beautiful blue hours I've ever seen.