HELLO HELLO IS THERE ANYBODY OUT THERE? (2016) < Previous | Next >
Space exploration and the search for other intelligent lifeforms in the known universe is something I am deeply excited by. When the chance came to visit New Mexico on a photography trip, I just had to stop by the Very Large Array in Socorro. I'd envisioned visiting these hallowed grounds ever since I read the book "Contact" by Carl Sagan and that desire was fueled further with my growing love of astrophotography.
New Mexico is a fascinating state for a photographer with a great landscape and vast tracts of wilderness. The one thing I will forever remember is the sight of how quickly summer storms develop and the awesome power such storms can unleash on the land in the form of lightning. Devoid of any trees, you can see storms brewing far away, including cloud to ground lightning strikes up close and personal, which is an adrenaline rush for me. On this same trip, my friend and I were caught by surprise at how quickly a storm developed and had to hightail it out as fast as we could back to our car, with the storm rolling dangerously upon us.
On this night, even though the weather wasn't great for astrophotography due to the clouds obscuring the Milky Way, I managed to snag a picture of one of the enormous VLA antennas as it went about its all important task of listening to the cosmos, undisturbed by the storm in the background and oblivious to our presence. This setup is a testament to humankind's limitless potential when it is harnessed in the pursuit of constructive enterprises.
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