[Sagitta]

In the strict sense of "they're in the sky, and I don't know what they are."

Figured I'd share the shots in hopes someone can fill me in so I don't sit awaketonight puzzling over this.

Backstory: I went on my break today about 5:30-ish, and decided I wanted to shoot clouds in monochrome/IR mode. I love the effect and used to do it on my K-x all the time, so figured I'd give it a spin with the K-30 and see how things pan out. Sigma 10-20mm wide angle in hand, I went and fired off a couple dozen shots around work, and when going back through I ran across what I thought were stuck pixels at first, until I realized that...

• They moved about
• They only showed up in 4 of my shots

My next thought was flare, but the sun was to my back, and while the Sigma flares, it doesn't flare like *that*.

My next next thought was crap on the sensor, except that shows as a shadow, not a light burst.

I then went in and checked the DNG file (thank goodness I shoot in RAW, huh?) and found that each of those splots is a red dot with a white coma behind it, kind of like the effect I'd get when shooting stars. Except stars aren't red, and they don't show up in broad daylight.

This is the 'best' shot, showing the whatevers the clearest.




And the color DNG image.




FWIW, I shot this f/6.3, ISO 100, 1/100 second @ 10mm using the Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5

The other three shots in the series are on my Flickr stream, and will be best viewed there since you can go in and look at them full size.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jroberts72/sets/72157633305863917/

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Last edited by Sagitta; 04-22-2013 at 11:51 PM.

[Stone G.]

I have had a similar experience not so many years ago. That was around sunset and the "dots" were much closer showing disitinct round shapes with an orange hue. There were lots of them and they were all heading in the same direction.

I never found out what they were but their slightly, individual wobbling movements make me suspect that the were weather baloons or similar that had just been launched (presumably from a nearby military airfield?).

[Macario]

I would say hot or dead pixels, have you tried pixelmapping?
The don't always show the hot pixels, so it could be that you only see them on 4 shots, and not therest.

[kiwi_jono]

Its not a sensor issue because if you compare the photos they are in different positions.

I'm guessing that the light was pretty bright to the right of the frame and what we are seeing is some sort of flare response (internal reflections somewhere). Failing that they could be a batch of balloons that were let loose but looks more like points of flare to me.

[skyer]

It looks like the Orion Nebula.

[Na Horuk]

Could be daylight reflected from satellites? Which makes them look a little like stars but not quite?
Btw great photo

[PJ1]

I don't think it is Orion. That constellation is a bit higher in the sky at 5:30 right now. But I have noticed when photographing some birds that the K10D picks up some blue shades that fluoresce. In other words, the sensor shifts some ultra-violet into the visible range in the image. (I hope that makes sense!) So maybe this could be stars which are on the edge of becoming visible late in the day. The sensor can "see" them but the naked eye can't. But if they are moving - "What does it mean, Jim?" (as Dr McCoy once said to Captain James T. Kirk).

[LaurenOE]

My $.02.

Take this app - Google Sky Map for Android and go to the same spot with the GPS on your phone turned on.

I'm sure there is a similar app if it's an iPhone.

Tell us what is the constellation when you do.

[southlander]

Not near Roswell are you?

[jatrax]

Rather large meteor shower this week depending on where you are at. Usually we associate viewing those at night as they are more noticeable but of course they are entering atmosphere in daylight as well.

Lyrid Meteor Shower Webcast Tonight: Watch It Live | Space.com

[Sagitta]

Rather large meteor shower this week depending on where you are at. Usually we associate viewing those at night as they are more noticeable but of course they are entering atmosphere in daylight as well.

Lyrid Meteor Shower Webcast Tonight: Watch It Live | Space.com

I was wondering f they could of been Lyrids, but meteors tend to be a lot streakier than that. As far as flare goes, I have other shots I took towards the sun/away from the sun/facing other directions that don't have any sign of those spots.

I did find one more that may or may not have them, which I'd taken a few minutes earlier from up on the bridge itself. If the spots in that one are the same things, they look a lot more distant.

I know its not stuck pixels because they move and have coma. Its the coma which makes me think its reflected sunlight. Stuck pixels would just be a point and thats it.

Here's a shot from atop the bridge I'd taken about 5 minutes prior to the other ones. It has three or four spots, but much fainter than the other shots showed. I made notes on them in my flickr page to show where they are. (Basically dead center in the image on this one)

[bikecoboss]

Bugs. Dust. There's all manner of junk floating around in the air, the light just has to be right to see it.