Thursday, October 16, 2008

The Sun - The Big Picture - Boston.com

The Sun - The Big Picture - Boston.com: "The Sun is now in the quietest phase of its 11-year activity cycle, the solar minimum - in fact, it has been unusually quiet this year - with over 200 days so far with no observed sunspots. The solar wind has also dropped to its lowest levels in 50 years. Scientists are unsure of the significance of this unusual calm, but are continually monitoring our closest star with an array of telescopes and satellites. Seen below are some recent images of the Sun in more active times. (21 photos total)"

Monday, October 13, 2008

Photographer William Claxton dies - Times Online

Photographer William Claxton dies - Times Online: "He was a luminary behind the camera who captured the legendary in front of it, but at the age of 80, photographer William Claxton has died.
Claxton succumbed to complications stemming from congestive heart failure on Saturday at Los Angeles' Cedars Sinai Medical Center, leaving behind a raft of iconic images of music stars.
While best known for his portraits of jazz artists such as Chet Baker, Claxton snapped a who’s who of the entertainment world, among them Steve McQueen, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Tom Jones and Frank Sinatra."