Can someone tell me what this is?

[cuivenion]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirage_of_astronomical_objects

[Steve Ward]

7 minutes ago, Dave In Vermont said:

Now, now 'Gentlemen' - let us not start hurling balls of tinfoil just yet. Celebrating the New Year engenders racous behavior all by itself, so shall we not add to it any hostilities? Thank you.

Purposefully de-focusing stars actually serves a valuable purpose: Determining their color. Andthe color of a star can tell us a great deal about many of the stars' characteristics - age, composition, and what the star is currently capable of creating (element-wise) within it's fusion-fired nuclear-furnace.

So de-focus and learn some fascinating tidbits about these luminous denizens of our common Universe.

Now where's my Iridium-Helmet...?

Dave

If he doesn't believe that stars appear as pinpoints of light , doesn't believe that they are  "quadrillions of miles away" , doesn't believe what NASA says they are and doesn't understand the concept of the speed of light and the "looking back in time" part of things then he sure as eggs is eggs ain't going to believe that they are fusion fueled furnaces ... 

[mikey2000]

16 hours ago, ASTRAL THIEF said:

 what I do is focus in on a star I want to take pics of and then I back off the manual zoom so I can fit more of the sky in the image 

I have that exact same camera and lens.  If you change the zoom setting, you need to refocus .   Like most camera zoom lenses, this lens is not "parfocal" so change focal length, you need to change the focus slightly.   Some lenses are better than others.   The E 55-210 is only "ok" (not perfect) in this department.

 

It's also not massively sharp at 210mm and the E mount "focus by wire" system makes infinity focus rather tricky!