Small birds world

Posted on 23/09/2023 by Patricia

2023, Sep. 11th, Rochefort. After two days of science outreach during the hot days of the Open Doors at the Humain radio-astronomy station, stepping into the world of small birds was very refreshing…

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Tiny and sticky

Posted on 28/08/2023 by Patricia

August 27-28th, 2023, East-Belgium. For the very first time, we managed to spot the red and green leaves of the enigmatic ‘drosera rotundifolia’ amidst the lush and flowering vegetation of the Belgian high moors. The insect-eating plant displays tiny leaves with sticky tentacles from which there is no escape possible (NL: zonnedauw, F: rossolis).

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Moors and pools

Posted on 27/08/2023 by Patricia

August 10th, 2023, East-Belgium. The small creatures that populate the sweet-water pools of the Belgian high moors during summer have glassy and shining appearances, but aren’t easy to photograph. You need patience and a high-speed focusing unit to be succesful.

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The old world

Posted on 25/06/2023 by Patricia

May 2023, Sierra de Guara, Spain. Just across the Pyrenees mountains, a natural world filled with birds of all kinds and canyons of all sizes reveals itself. This sierra holds wonder and enchantment…

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The visitors

Posted on 11/06/2023 by Paul

Halle, June 8th, 2023. Much to our surprise, two visitors came to our terrace (on the third floor and amidst the city) to feed: a young white wagtail and his parent.

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Bluebell country

Posted on 22/04/2023 by Patricia

April 19th, 2023, Halle. The blue-white carpets of anemons and bluebells started to colourize the woods of central Belgium… And the show is on!

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Between land and water

Posted on 27/03/2023 by Patricia

March 21st, 2023. Baraque Fraiture. In the higher part of Belgium, the land is quickly soaked with water, and the fenns deserve their name. A new discovery is the 6-km walk nearby the highway.

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Planetary conjunction

Posted on 01/03/2023 by Patricia

Feb. 28th, 2023. Two bright planets approach each other in the evening sky: Venus and Jupiter are on their way to their closest approach of the year. Such a configuration occurs roughly every 13 months. The minimum angular separation will reach about the size of the diameter of the full Moon on March, 2nd. Venus has an apparent magnitude of ~ -4 mag while Jupiter has an apparent magnitude of ~ -2 mag. This means that both are visible to the naked eye and that Venus appears much brighter than Jupiter. Aligned with Jupiter’s equator, you may also distinguish its four moons. March 02, 2023. The two planets switched relative positions in the evening sky. Conjunction has passed! Both photos were taken with a Nikon D5 and 500 mm/f5.6 lens.

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