David Blanchard
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davidblanchard.bsky.social
David Blanchard
@davidblanchard.bsky.social
1.5K followers 170 following 690 posts
Atmospheric Scientist, Ph.D., CCM. Chased by storms since 1981. Trail running, mountain biking, skiing. Astro, weather, and landscape photographer.

dblanchard.net/blog/
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davidblanchard.bsky.social
Clear skies overnight allowed some shallow fog to develop in the Mormon Lake Basin. The San Francisco Peaks loom in the distance.

#landscape 📷 #fog
Clear skies overnight allowed some shallow fog to develop in the Mormon Lake Basin. The San Francisco Peaks loom in the distance.
November 25, 2025 at 1:02 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Today's run took us down the Arizona Trail into Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve -- and then returned via the Tom Moody Trail. The snow has already melted and trail was a perfect dampness.

#trailrunning #ArizonaTrail #landscape 📷
A runner on the oak leaf covered Arizona Trail near Picture Canyon. Petroglyphs near the Arizona Trail in Picture Canyon. Flagstaff's only waterfall in Picture Canyon. Today's running route down the Arizona trail to Picture Canyon with a return on the Tom Moody Trail. https://www.outdoorproject.com/united-states/arizona/picture-canyon
November 22, 2025 at 10:25 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Precipitation for October and November (thru 11/19) has cracked the top ten wettest on record. With more precipitation expected this weekend it may break into the top 5.

#azwx #weather #arizona
November 20, 2025 at 9:49 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Testing the Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD on the Milky Way. Vega is bottom center; North America Nebula is upper right.

Nikon D850, 35mm, f/1.4, ISO 200, 10x120 seconds. Stacked in Siril with Star Reduction.

Great lens!

#astrophotography #Nikon #Tamron #siril
Testing the Tamron SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD on the Milky Way. Vega is bottom center; North America Nebula is upper right. Nikon D850, 35mm, f/1.4, ISO 200, 10x120 seconds. Stacked in Siril with Star Reduction. Great lens!
November 18, 2025 at 5:28 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Three of us ran the recently realigned Upper Oldham Trail in the Mount Elden–Dry Lakes (MEDL) area on Tuesday. About 7.1 miles round trip and 1350 feet vertical. Amazing trail and we will be back!

#landscape 📷 #trailrunning
Aspen, fir, and spruce trees along the north-facing aspect of the trail. Numerous well-designed switchbacks allow for a moderate grade all the way up--and down. View to the north of the San Francisco Peaks. The route up the mountain.
November 14, 2025 at 7:34 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Another image from last night's aurora showing the silhouette of a heron wading in the shallow water of the lake. Shot with a 12mm fisheye lens--hence the curvature (2158 MST; 0458 UTC)

#astrophotography #landscape 📷 #aurora
November 12, 2025 at 9:16 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Time-lapse video of last nights aurora from 0248–0526 UTC (1948–2226 MST) with peak sub-storm activity from 0430–0455 UTC (2130–2155MST).

Nikon D850, 12mm fish eye, f/4, ISO3200, 15 seconds per image.

#astrophotography #aurora #landscape 📷
November 12, 2025 at 7:07 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Brilliant substorm erupted around 0430-0450 UTC producing numerous pillars -- all easily visible naked eye from near Flagstaff.

Nikon D850, 12mm fisheye, f/4, ISO 3200, 15 seconds.

#landscape 📷 #aurora
November 12, 2025 at 7:18 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Aurora pillars visible from Flagstaff Az. Very bright.

#aurora
November 12, 2025 at 4:43 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) on Sunday evening.

Nikon D850, 180mm, f/4, ISO 200, 120 seconds; single image.

Second image is a black+white negative which shows more structure in the tail.

#astrophotography 📷 #comet #nikonusa
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) on Sunday evening. Nikon D850, 180mm, f/4, ISO 200, 120 seconds; single image. Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) on Sunday evening. Nikon D850, 180mm, f/4, ISO 200, 120 seconds; single image. Image is a black+white negative which shows more detail in the tail.
November 11, 2025 at 1:20 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
A mountain bike ride at Fort Tuthill in Flagstaff means we get to travel through the Cosmic Ray Tunnel at Sheep Crossing Trail. Yeah, complicated name but they wanted to honor both a great person and the historical nature of the underpass.

#mountainbikeing #flagstaff #arizona
Colorful mural depicting Basque sheep herders tending their animals in the aspen forests near Flagstaff. This underpass beneath I-17 in Flagstaff was built to accomodate the movement of sheep. A colorful mural adorns T=the Cosmic Ray Tunnel, named to honor cyclist "Cosmic Ray" Brutti who authored numerous guides for hiking and mountain biking in Arizona. https://azdailysun.com/news/local/tunnel-on-flagstaff-urban-trail-system-to-be-named-in-honor-of-cosmic-ray-brutti/article_4f00d88c-a8c7-11ed-9fcb-8bf01734f0f9.html A mountain biker travels along the Soldiers Trail in Fort Tuthill in Flagstaff.
November 9, 2025 at 3:30 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Rx burns meant we had to change our running plans at the last moment. Instead of Fort Valley trails (smokey) we did Rocky Ridge, Middle Oldham, and a portion of Upper Oldham. The recently realigned Upper Oldham is really nice!

#landscape 📷 #trailrunning
A runner follows the Upper Oldham trail that is heavily forested with spruce, fir, and pine.
November 6, 2025 at 11:30 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Autumn colors have not yet hit their peak in Oak Creek canyon and side canyons. Another week?

#landscape 📷
Roadside tree along Highway 89A in Oak Creek Canyon. The hillsides have color in Oak Creek Canyon. Red sumac leaves. Yellow maple leaves.
November 6, 2025 at 12:41 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Was looking for autumn color in Oak Creek Canyon but also found many wildflowers.

#landscape 📷 #wildflowers
A cluster of three white asters with green leaves in the background. A purple aster. White violets.
November 6, 2025 at 12:35 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Another image from Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) -- this time using the zoom lens at 500mm. Focus is just a bit soft -- operator error, of course.

Nikon D850, 500mm, ƒ/5.6, ISO 800, 30 seconds.

Bonus: gibbous waxing Moon.

#astrophotography
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). There are small undulations and kinks in the tail. Nikon D850, 500mm, ƒ/5.6, ISO 800, 30 seconds. The waxing gibbous Moon.
October 31, 2025 at 10:12 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Sometimes all you need to do is go out on the back porch to see some wonderful fall colors. The trees in the neighborhood are at peak color right now.

Sony RX10m4, 600mm (equivalent).

#landscape 📷 #aspen #fallfoliage
October 31, 2025 at 6:03 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Another trail run on Thursday in the Dry Lakes area north of Flagstaff. A few stands of aspen continue to show great color.

#trailrunning #landscape 📷
A stand of aspen trees displays fall colors along the Brookbank Trail in the Dry Lake hills area north of Flagstaff. Fallen leaves adorn Swell Trail in the Dry Lakes area north of Flagstaff. A trail runner on Brookbank Trail passes between several old growth ponderosa pines. A trail runner on Swell Trail.
October 31, 2025 at 6:00 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Did a trail run on some of the newer trails in the Dry Lake Hills north of Flagstaff using Broadside -- Abalone -- Swell -- Brookbank -- Lunar Tide -- Swell -- Schultz Creek. Got to see a stand of colorful aspens along the way. Breezy but mild temperatures.

#trailrunning #landscape 📷
An autumn-colored stand of aspen trees along the Lunar Tide trail near Flagstaff, Arizona. A trail runner on Lunar Tide trail with a view of the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff, Arizona.
October 28, 2025 at 11:54 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) at 1858 MST 26 October 2025 from northern Arizona.

Nikon D850, Nikkor 180mm AI-s, f/4, ISO 200, 120 seconds.

#astrophotography
October 28, 2025 at 12:42 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Motion of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) over a period of ~1 hour.

Nikon D850, Nikkon 180mm AI-S, f/4, ISO 200, 30x120 seconds.

#astrophotography
October 27, 2025 at 5:13 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
A frosty morning at Schultz Tank in the Dry Lake Hills near Flagstaff, Arizona.

#landscape 📷
October 26, 2025 at 1:28 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) shortly after the end of astro twilight. As has been typical, the wide angle view picks up a lot of green airglow near the horizon.

This is a composite of two images: one tracking the stars/comet and the other untracked for the foreground.

#astrophotography #landscape 📷
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) shortly after the end of astro twilight. As has been typical, the wider angle lens picks up a lot of green airglow. This is a composite of two images: one tracking the stars/comet and the other untracked for the foreground. Nikon D850, 35mm, f/1.4, ISO 200, 120 seconds.
October 25, 2025 at 4:55 AM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
The Pleiades and Uranus with bands of green airglow: 18 October 2025.

Nikon D850, 85mm, f/4, ISO 200, 120 seconds.

#astrophotography
October 22, 2025 at 6:17 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Two comets in one evening (20 October 2025):

C/2025 A6 (Lemmon)
C/2025 R2 (SWAN)

Nikon D850, Tamron 35mm, f/2.8, ISO 200.
Additional details in Alt Text.

#astrophotography #landscape 📷
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) in the evening sky with reflections of stars and comets in Ashurst Lake. Green airglow is also present on the horizon. Nikon D850, Tamron 35mm, f/2.8, ISO 200, 120 seconds. Two stacked images: one tracking the stars/comet; the other fixed on the foreground. Comet C/2025 R2 (SWAN) and the Mlky Way. The comet is about 1/3 of the way down and to the left of the Milky Way. Nikon D850, Tamron 35mm, f/2.8, ISO 200, 22x120 seconds, stacked with Siril.
October 21, 2025 at 11:09 PM
davidblanchard.bsky.social
Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon).

Nikon D850, Nikkor 180mm AI-S, f/4, ISO 200, 120 sec.

The original had numerous satellite tracks so I used the Remove tool in Photoshop and had it remove "wires and cables" and it worked--but did take out a few stars as well.

#astrophotography
Image of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) taken 19 October 2025 near Flagstaff, Arizona. Single image. Nikon D850, Nikkor 180mm AI-S, f/4, ISO 200, 120 seconds.
October 21, 2025 at 12:39 AM