Don Davis
@ddavisspaceart.bsky.social
Space Artist, sky observer and photographer. Processor of space images. Interested in Astronomy, Planetary Geology, history and in what the future may bring.
The view from from the windows of the Apollo 12 Lunar Module just after landing 56 years ago. Apollo 12 was a great mission although the loss of the color TV camera at the beginning of the first EVA was a blow to live network coverage. In due time we saw the color and B&W photos the crew returned.
November 20, 2025 at 10:39 AM
The view from from the windows of the Apollo 12 Lunar Module just after landing 56 years ago. Apollo 12 was a great mission although the loss of the color TV camera at the beginning of the first EVA was a blow to live network coverage. In due time we saw the color and B&W photos the crew returned.
It's been a while since I posted my art, so here's one of my K-T impact related works, 'Land and sea'. Before I was into space I was into Dinosaurs and I have done several prehistoric life paintings over the years.
Here the giant impact blasts land and ocean areas, upending the regional scenery.
Here the giant impact blasts land and ocean areas, upending the regional scenery.
November 19, 2025 at 3:05 AM
It's been a while since I posted my art, so here's one of my K-T impact related works, 'Land and sea'. Before I was into space I was into Dinosaurs and I have done several prehistoric life paintings over the years.
Here the giant impact blasts land and ocean areas, upending the regional scenery.
Here the giant impact blasts land and ocean areas, upending the regional scenery.
The Sunrise of November 17, 2025 featured the deep red of highly filtered sunlight passing through a great distance of clean air to illuminate a layer of high clouds. Initially as the first sunlight touched the most distant clouds, the saturated coral red clouds blazed with a striking radiance.
November 18, 2025 at 3:21 AM
The Sunrise of November 17, 2025 featured the deep red of highly filtered sunlight passing through a great distance of clean air to illuminate a layer of high clouds. Initially as the first sunlight touched the most distant clouds, the saturated coral red clouds blazed with a striking radiance.
The Sunrise of November 14 2025 happened as rain falling across the High Desert was bathed in the rosy colored first sunlight. This then illuminated the rain falling to my West and produced a lovely rainbow. At Joshua Tree it briefly made a delicate wide bow emphasizing the red end of the spectrum.
November 17, 2025 at 11:24 AM
The Sunrise of November 14 2025 happened as rain falling across the High Desert was bathed in the rosy colored first sunlight. This then illuminated the rain falling to my West and produced a lovely rainbow. At Joshua Tree it briefly made a delicate wide bow emphasizing the red end of the spectrum.
Here's the aurora looming beyond the clouds that moved into the area.
November 12, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Here's the aurora looming beyond the clouds that moved into the area.
Here's the aurora as seen last night from Joshua Tree, California at 34 degrees North.
November 12, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Here's the aurora as seen last night from Joshua Tree, California at 34 degrees North.
All last night the sky was covered with high clouds that drifted in a ghostly procession over the Moon. They at times became broad parallel strips which acted as a 'screen' for a Lunar halo surrounding the gibbous Moon. I obtained some all sky sequences as the clouds developed and passed by.
November 3, 2025 at 6:31 PM
All last night the sky was covered with high clouds that drifted in a ghostly procession over the Moon. They at times became broad parallel strips which acted as a 'screen' for a Lunar halo surrounding the gibbous Moon. I obtained some all sky sequences as the clouds developed and passed by.
Intriguing. I captured this apparent airglow color banding the morning of Oct 27th looking North from Joshua Tree, at 34 deg. N. The entire sky visually appeared to have an added faint luminosity as if there was an even thin cloud layer.
October 28, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Intriguing. I captured this apparent airglow color banding the morning of Oct 27th looking North from Joshua Tree, at 34 deg. N. The entire sky visually appeared to have an added faint luminosity as if there was an even thin cloud layer.
October 27, 2025 ended with twilight adorned by luminous colorful brush strokes due to an earlier launch from Vandenberg. The plume was invisible until the darkening sky above the twilight revealed it as as a pale white wisp. Later, as Earth's shadow climbed up the plume, sunset colors appeared.
October 28, 2025 at 7:11 AM
October 27, 2025 ended with twilight adorned by luminous colorful brush strokes due to an earlier launch from Vandenberg. The plume was invisible until the darkening sky above the twilight revealed it as as a pale white wisp. Later, as Earth's shadow climbed up the plume, sunset colors appeared.
Just after midnight this morning an unexpected intense lightning storm passed over the High Desert. I went outside with my tripod and took time exposures to capture the nearby lightning strikes. This one is the closest bolt I have ever photographed, a mile or so away based on the sound delay.
October 23, 2025 at 2:55 AM
Just after midnight this morning an unexpected intense lightning storm passed over the High Desert. I went outside with my tripod and took time exposures to capture the nearby lightning strikes. This one is the closest bolt I have ever photographed, a mile or so away based on the sound delay.
Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon now shines in the evening skies, although the better photos I have seen of this one are either from farther North or made using telescopes. Last night, the 20th, it briefly appeared as the twilight faded before it lowered too much, its modest tail extending away from the Sun.
October 22, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Comet C/2025 A6 Lemmon now shines in the evening skies, although the better photos I have seen of this one are either from farther North or made using telescopes. Last night, the 20th, it briefly appeared as the twilight faded before it lowered too much, its modest tail extending away from the Sun.
The comet C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) grew more prominent in the morning skies as the Moon's phase waned and its tail brightened. Here is a series of photos showing this modest comet's tail emerging as the skies darkened. The comet was not visible to my eyes.
October 20, 2025 at 7:04 AM
The comet C/2025 A6 (LEMMON) grew more prominent in the morning skies as the Moon's phase waned and its tail brightened. Here is a series of photos showing this modest comet's tail emerging as the skies darkened. The comet was not visible to my eyes.
The High Desert had another striking sunset the evening of October 10, 2025. The falling rain was lit here and there in the sky, with a rainbow briefly adorning the East. The reddening rays then highlighted the Western clouds as shadowed masses churned in slow motion overhead.
October 11, 2025 at 2:13 PM
The High Desert had another striking sunset the evening of October 10, 2025. The falling rain was lit here and there in the sky, with a rainbow briefly adorning the East. The reddening rays then highlighted the Western clouds as shadowed masses churned in slow motion overhead.
The thin Martian atmosphere extends higher than does Earths due to the lower gravity. Various spacecraft have photographed high thin layers of clouds particularly over the wintertime poles. Here is an example from the European Mars Express orbiter.
September 29, 2025 at 2:46 PM
The thin Martian atmosphere extends higher than does Earths due to the lower gravity. Various spacecraft have photographed high thin layers of clouds particularly over the wintertime poles. Here is an example from the European Mars Express orbiter.
A beautiful launch from Vandenberg at twilight. As the sunlit expanding plume headed Southward it passed near the crescent Moon from my perspective. Such sights make me wonder about what incredible comets there might have been that looked like this, seen and unseen, over the ages in Earth's skies.
September 29, 2025 at 5:38 AM
A beautiful launch from Vandenberg at twilight. As the sunlit expanding plume headed Southward it passed near the crescent Moon from my perspective. Such sights make me wonder about what incredible comets there might have been that looked like this, seen and unseen, over the ages in Earth's skies.
A recent vista from Mars obtained by the Perseverance Rover on its 1635th Martian day, or 'Sol', Clouds far above the eternal dust pall are unusually well shown in this afternoon view. This is a mosaic of two wide angle color Navcam images.
September 29, 2025 at 12:10 AM
A recent vista from Mars obtained by the Perseverance Rover on its 1635th Martian day, or 'Sol', Clouds far above the eternal dust pall are unusually well shown in this afternoon view. This is a mosaic of two wide angle color Navcam images.
Clouds are by far my favorite photographic subject. On Saturday September 27, 2025 a storm passed across the High Desert bringing thunder and rain. For a time cumulus clouds rolled over the region, some catching the sunlight and other closer shaded clouds being indirectly lit by them.
September 28, 2025 at 8:42 AM
Clouds are by far my favorite photographic subject. On Saturday September 27, 2025 a storm passed across the High Desert bringing thunder and rain. For a time cumulus clouds rolled over the region, some catching the sunlight and other closer shaded clouds being indirectly lit by them.
Here is the waning stages of the visible highly reddened sunlight shining on the distant clouds. While a reasonable approximation, the actual color perceived at the central furthest clouds is elusive to capture with any camera.
September 22, 2025 at 7:34 AM
Here is the waning stages of the visible highly reddened sunlight shining on the distant clouds. While a reasonable approximation, the actual color perceived at the central furthest clouds is elusive to capture with any camera.
The Sunset of September 21, 2025 was a fitting curtain call to Summer. This Sunset benefited from the remaining presence of clouds overhead with a gap along the Western horizon. The remaining shreds of rain and broad cloud layers all caught the reddened sunlight shining through that distant gap.
September 22, 2025 at 7:21 AM
The Sunset of September 21, 2025 was a fitting curtain call to Summer. This Sunset benefited from the remaining presence of clouds overhead with a gap along the Western horizon. The remaining shreds of rain and broad cloud layers all caught the reddened sunlight shining through that distant gap.
During the sunrise this morning, September 21 2025, the undersides of the clouds were briefly lit by the early Sun rays reddened from passing through perhaps hundreds of miles of storm cleaned air. Hints of dynamic forces distorting and rending the delicate cloud patches overhead could be seen.
September 22, 2025 at 6:17 AM
During the sunrise this morning, September 21 2025, the undersides of the clouds were briefly lit by the early Sun rays reddened from passing through perhaps hundreds of miles of storm cleaned air. Hints of dynamic forces distorting and rending the delicate cloud patches overhead could be seen.
This morning the Moon, Venus and the bright star Regulus rose as a tight grouping before dawn. It was a striking sight in the clear pre dawn skies, with the air having been cleaned by a thunderstorm that had passed through the area last night.
September 19, 2025 at 2:50 PM
This morning the Moon, Venus and the bright star Regulus rose as a tight grouping before dawn. It was a striking sight in the clear pre dawn skies, with the air having been cleaned by a thunderstorm that had passed through the area last night.
A view of the recent lightning, not with any bolts but nicely showing the inner glow of lightning illuminating regions within the thunderhead. The lightning was nearly continuous for a time, with every 2.5 second exposure having some. If there's lightning in the area I'm out there with my camera.
September 5, 2025 at 8:08 PM
A view of the recent lightning, not with any bolts but nicely showing the inner glow of lightning illuminating regions within the thunderhead. The lightning was nearly continuous for a time, with every 2.5 second exposure having some. If there's lightning in the area I'm out there with my camera.
The third Viking painting for NASA HQ was an overview of the intended landing site as the mortar in the top of the aeroshell fires to release the parachute. The topographic details were from Mariner 9 photos of the landing site at the USGS. They ended up landing well beyond the bottom of the frame.
September 5, 2025 at 7:14 AM
The third Viking painting for NASA HQ was an overview of the intended landing site as the mortar in the top of the aeroshell fires to release the parachute. The topographic details were from Mariner 9 photos of the landing site at the USGS. They ended up landing well beyond the bottom of the frame.
This was an 'anomoly', someone more or less made a crude variation of my work! I remember seeing this reproduced somewhere many years ago. Here is the second painting, of the Viking lander touching down. I didn't have the last version of the lander config when I did this so the fuel tanks are bare.
September 5, 2025 at 7:08 AM
This was an 'anomoly', someone more or less made a crude variation of my work! I remember seeing this reproduced somewhere many years ago. Here is the second painting, of the Viking lander touching down. I didn't have the last version of the lander config when I did this so the fuel tanks are bare.
A nice thunderstorm passed by to my Northeast as twilight deepened, just close enough to hear the sustained faint rumble from the nearly continuous lightning within it.
September 5, 2025 at 6:54 AM
A nice thunderstorm passed by to my Northeast as twilight deepened, just close enough to hear the sustained faint rumble from the nearly continuous lightning within it.