Sterne by Thomas Ruff

Postcard DE-3784060 from Germany shows an image of night sky from the collection Sterne 
(Stars) produced by German photographer Thomas Ruff in 1989. Thomas Ruff acquired a set of 600 negative images "Catalog of the Southern Sky" from the European Southern Observatory in the Andes, Chile. Each of those images was noted for the precise time of day and exact geographic position when the photograph was taken, along with the type of telescopic lens used and length of exposure. Thomas Ruff cropped specific details from those images and enlarged them to a uniform grand scale.

Separately, a pulsar, J1906,  made the news as it has faded from view when it enters a warp in space-time. The observations were made at the Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico.

It's Going to be a New Day in Florida

Postcard US-3141369 to USA was a vintage card showing a night scene under the full moon in Florida.

The clock has struck midnight on the East Coast. It marks a new day in Florida as it became the latest of 36 states and Washington D.C. in the U.S. where same-sex couples can now legally marry. Many courthouses in South Florida open overnight to issue marriage licenses and hold wedding ceremonies.

It was a drawn-out battle since the same-sex marriage ban, part of the State Constitution Amendment 2, passed with a 62% voter approval in 2008. In the end, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's many appeals, a bogus legal advice from a private law firm to clerks, and the last minute attempts from a conservative legal group Liberty Counsel, can not turn back tide.

German Unity Day

Today is the German Unity Day (Tag der Deutschen Einheit), the national day of Germany. Celebrated on October 3 every year, it is a public holiday that commemorates the anniversary of German reunification in 1990. The reunification process started as the Berlin Wall came down on November 9, 1989, and was formally completed on October 3, 1990. The German Unity Day, the national holiday of the Federal Republic of Germany, had been previously celebrated on June 17 since 1954. It was celebrated twice in 1990, once on June 17, 1990 and the other on October 3, 1990.

Postcard DE-1272658  was a lenticular 3D postcard. When viewing from different angles, it shows the reunified Germany by Day or by Night from space. It was also the first official PostCrossing postcard I received from Germany.

Minsk Magical Time

Postcard BY-1353861 from Belarus shows an illustration of historical Minsk under the starry night sky, designed by Catherine Hancharyk. You can see more of her art works here. It has expanded my Minsk collection.

Blood Moon in Sky

Postcard US-1651277 to Russia shows various nightlife in Florida under a "blood moon".

In the early morning of April 15, 2014 when a total lunar eclipse occurred, the "blood moon" was visible from most of North and South America, Hawaii and parts of Alaska. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon, the earth, and the sun are in alignment. As a result, the moon is completely covered by the Earth’s shadow. The following photo shows the total eclipse of the moon underway over Las Vegas, Nevada as seen from West Sahara Avenue and South Valley View Boulevard around 12:40 am on April 15, 2014. The bright star on the lower-right corner is Spica from the constellation Virgo, the 15th brightest star in the sky.

The eclipse was the first of four consecutive total lunar eclipses, known as a tetrad, on April, 15, 2014, October 8, 2014, April 4, 2015, and September 28 2015.

Bright Summer Night on Braslav

Postcard BY-1162713 from Belarus shows "Bright Summer Night on Braslav", by Minsk photographer and astronomer Viktor Malyschits known for his many beautiful night views of Belarus on the background of sparkling stars. You can learn more about Viktor and his photos from an interview Love the Stars and their Country in Russian at Onliner.

Last in 2013 or First in 2014?

Postcard ES-215704 from Spain was the last official card I received in 2013. However, since the PostCrossing server resides in UTC/GMT zone, the registered arrival date was January 1, 2014. That would make this card my first in the New Year.

The postcard shows a night view of Seville, the fourth-largest city in Spain, with the Torre del Oro (Gold Tower) at the left-center by the Guadalquivir River and the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See at the top-right in the background.

Built in the early 13th century, the Torre del Oro was a military watch tower that controlled access to Seville via the river. It got its name due to its golden shine projected on the river, caused by its building materials: a mixture of mortar, lime and pressed hay. It served as a prison during the Middle Ages. 

The Cathedral of Saint Mary of the See, known as Seville Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral that ranks as the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world. It was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987, along with the Alcázar palace complex and the General Archive of the Indies.

Alaska: Humpback Whale's Tail at Moonrise

Humpback Whale's Tail at Moonrise

I can't believe that it has been ten years! I bought this card when I attended ASPRS annual conference at Anchorage, Alaska from May 5 to May 9, 2003. There were several others in the set, along with a couple of shaped cards and a bronze postcard. I like them very much and wanted to keep them as my personal permanent collections. However, I recently realized that a better way to appreciate them was to share them with my friends. This card is going out today as US-2213857 to Taiwan.

Two Whales Frolic in the Ocean

The postcard sent to Belarus as US-1834439 was part of the Alaska collections. There are actually two whales shown on the card. I had not noticed that for a long time before I sent it out on August 25, 2012.

Update: Another Alaska postcard showing a winter cabin illuminated by the eerie glow of Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) was sent to China via ICardYou on May 8, 2013.

Northern Lights