Post B1LbAR7K3M96uc1dCa by mcr314@todon.nl
 (DIR) More posts by mcr314@todon.nl
 (DIR) Post #B1LbAR7K3M96uc1dCa by mcr314@todon.nl
       2025-12-16T16:21:15Z
       
       1 likes, 0 repeats
       
       What a shot.  Seems to be real, and seems to not be a composite.https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap251216.html  "Explanation: What’s happening over that tree? Two very different things. On the left is the Andromeda galaxy, an object that is older than humanity and will last billions of years into the future. Andromeda (M31) is similar in size and shape to our own Milky Way Galaxy. On the right is a red sprite, a type of lightning that lasts a fraction of a second and occurs above violent thunderstorms. Red sprites were verified as real atmospheric phenomena only about 35 years ago. The tree in the center is a boab, which may live for as long as a thousand years. Boab trees grow naturally in Australia and Africa and are known for being able to store large amounts of water: up to 100,000 liters. The featured image was captured last month near Derby in Western Australia."
       
 (DIR) Post #B1LmpLbqXBp1CP0sM4 by vik@mastodon.nzoss.nz
       2025-12-17T20:21:11Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mcr314Um, I has questions? Is that a sunset or sunrise? If so camera is pointed east or west. Australia does not make sense. Andromeda would be in the northern sky no more than 15 degrees above the horizon.
       
 (DIR) Post #B1LuYNb2h0Oo4X3bUm by mcr314@todon.nl
       2025-12-17T21:47:42Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @vik I hadn't even begun to think about where this could be.  I assumed this was taken from some place in southern Auckland, looking west, and this is what kiwi's always see when they look toward Australia :-)
       
 (DIR) Post #B1LulqBjhTIaVqdgTg by mcr314@todon.nl
       2025-12-17T21:50:08Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @vik Never noticed how Auckland sits on such a small almost isthmus, that almost breaks the North Island in two.
       
 (DIR) Post #B1Lw5dUAjo94rVGVkG by vik@mastodon.nzoss.nz
       2025-12-17T22:04:58Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mcr314There's a track appropriately called Portage Road going across it from coast to coast. Or rather, estuary to estuary. It's about half a mile.
       
 (DIR) Post #B1MmMozCQaij4MIHsO by jay_peper@chaos.social
       2025-12-18T07:38:31Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @mcr314 @vik image description says "near Derby in Western Australia"
       
 (DIR) Post #B1MmMqU4rH0viPkSe0 by vik@mastodon.nzoss.nz
       2025-12-18T07:50:38Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @jay_peperAndromeda is about a degree wide, so looks about right.@mcr314