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veryconnoisseurcherryblossom · 1 year ago

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Teasing Hands

Summary: Rodimus gives you a lovely handjob and you give him a lovely facial.

Pairing: Rodimus/Reader

Fandom: Transformers

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: None

Tags: Handjob, teasing, facial, Exhibitionism

Ao3 link is here.

“S-squeeze tighter, Rod- Aaahn!” You bit your derma to try and hold back a loud moan, barely succeeding. Your fans let Rodimus know much he’s affecting you, though- they’re on max setting and loud. Your hips falter for a nanoklik before thrusting at a more frantic pace. Eventing sharply, you turn your head to look at Rodimus with hazy, flickering optics, drool leaking out from the corner of your intake.

“Fr-frag, I- Roddy-”

You barely get the words out when he smiles at you innocently, as if his servo wasn’t wrapped around your spike, as if you weren’t desperately thrusting into his servo with abandon. Your vocalizer glitches and stutters when he begins to lazily rub the very tip with his thumb, pulling a staticky whine from you.

“Mm? What’s up, sweetspark?”

His face might have been the picture of innocence, but his gorgeous bright blue eyes shows how he feels- smug and mischievous, no doubt enjoying how he’s able to get you to this point, almost begging him to let you overload.

“Pl-please- please, I-I’m so close-”

Another whine rips through your vocalizer, your head falling back as you grit your denta. Primus, you were so, so close-

“M-mah- blowjob! L-let me finish on, in your- intake, face-!”

Almost babbling into hysterics as you plead with your lover, you hear him chuckle. Another whine emerges from you when his servo leaves your spike. You could cry, you almost did- until Rodimus quickly, forcibly turned you around and knelt in front of you and quickly took your spike back into his grip. When he swiped his glossa over the weeping tip, you had to choke back a sob. When you looked down, Rodimus was all smiles, his pretty mouth just in front of your spike.

Hips thrusting once more, you bite your derma to keep yourself from making desperate, needy moans as his grip once more tightens, his glossa lapping at the head of your spike. If you look down, you could see your biolights blink rapidly, showing that you were on the cusp of an overload.

“Come on, sweetspark- I want you to cover me.”

The combination of Rodimus’ dirty talk and the ensuing image of his face covered in transfluid, your transfluid, pushed you over the edge with a cry. A thick rope of glowing pink fluid shot into his open, accepting mouth. You grab your spike and press it against his cheek, the next spurt landed just above his right optic. Smearing it across his face, you finish overloading on his left cheek with a moan.

Feeling your stabilizing servos wobble, you quickly lean against the wall to keep yourself from toppling over, your spike retreating back into your modesty panel. Rodimus smirked before he licked his lips and swallowed. The sight caused you to exvent- you loved the sight of Rodimus covered in your transfluid. Marking him as yours.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.”

Not needing to be told twice, you raised a finger to your temple, a sign between you and Rodimus that you were doing something on your HUD. Specifically, taking a photo. Rodimus smirked as he posed for you, the transfluid slowly dripping down his face. After taking a few photos, you reach into your subspace and pull out a soft cleaning rag.

“Aw, I was hoping I’d get to show off.”

Snorting at Rodimus’ whine, you lower yourself down and begin to wipe his face gently.

“Ultra Magnus will have a saprk attack and lecture you while Megatron will sigh and look at you with disapproval.”

Thinking for a second, you continue, finishing cleaning Rodimus’ face.

“I’ll send you the pics to show Drift?”

Before Rodimus could answer, you pull him in for a kiss. You can faintly taste your transfluid on his derma and glossa as you deepen the kiss, swirling your glossa around his. You can hear his engine rev loudly.

“Gotta go, I’ll be late for my shift. See you later, captain.”

Giggling as you got up and walked away, you didn’t need to look back to know how Rodimus looked. He would be looking at you with want in his optics, biting his lip. He’d also be looking a little shocked at how casually you left him on the floor of his office. But, this was the game you both played, and you knew he would repay it ten times more later when you both retreated to his habsuit for the night.

Oh yes, you could not wait.

#rodimus/reader #rodimus x reader #rodimusxreader #valveplug #transformers fanfic #transformers valveplug fanfic #writing #fanfiction

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dominimoonbeam · 3 months ago

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To The Edge - 19

This work is mine and I do not give consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted without my permission. I am sharing chapters as I work on this story but it is copyrighted material that I plan to rework and publish when completed.

story tags: scifi romance, hijinks in space, rogues learning to trust, violence, blood, guns, death, explicit language, so much kidnapping,

Works organized and easily found over on the patreon. <3

TO THE EDGE - CHAPTER 19.

Stardust removed the small metal hatch low on the wall of their room to expose a diagnostic panel. They’d found it weeks ago after moving a crate of protein sodas and used the direct connection to get back into the ship’s control system. Just because they weren’t piloting anymore, didn’t mean they were going to stay locked out. What if there was an emergency? What if they decided to stab Cosmic in the back?

Their heart hurt and they absently rubbed the spot on their chest. They wouldn’t betray Cosmic…but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to die on this journey. And for what? For the promise of treasure? For them?

Stardust mumbled a curse and pulled the panel loose. They’d had to rewire it when they changed its purpose from a general access point to a primary control hub for the ship. If they really wanted to, they could steal piloting controls from here. It would be stupid though, since he could easily take it back from the deck if he realized. He’d put extra security measures in place to keep anyone from locking him out again.

Stardust linked their optic implant to the ship and holographics of the systems popped up in their sight. They ignored those and pulled up their own call log. A hundred unread messages blinked and at dozen video messages waited.

It took some work to amplify the signal and bounce it across a few stations and planets, but Stardust got a call through to Cornelius Contessa Ignacio Li from their room on Cosmic’s ship.

They needed to talk to someone.

Things were getting out of hand past the edge and it had almost nothing to do with their perilous journey or the map printed on Stardust’s back.

They had run away from Cosmic when he flirted with them. Who did that? Not Stardust Solinoh Fairvell! Not until today…

When Cor answered, the image glitched a few times before focusing. They could tell that it took a little longer for the connection to stabilize and deliver their image back to him, because he wore that perfect mask of annoyance when he answered the unknown caller. For those seconds, he had his head cocked back and to the side, cheek high and daylight stretching the dark shadows of his lashes. The pale opal light of his optic implants glinted.

He looked fearsome…and then his image connected and he saw Stardust. The relief and delight bloomed across his features in a sly grin, his shoulders easing back and his head perking up. “Oh good, you’re still alive!”

Stardust spreading their arms as proof. “So far so good!”

Something on Cor’s side of the call took his attention away for a moment, his implant doing a good job of muffling background sounds, but they saw the shudder of the wall and noticed the broken glass across the floor. Light poured into the room around him in a way that made them think he was on a planet or moon—unfiltered.

“What’s going on?”

Cor’s focus returned to them and he waved a hand as if to dismiss the question. “How are you?”

“Shut up. Where are you? What happened?” Now that they thought about it, Cornelius Contessa was barely even wearing any jewels—just the one choker of diamonds. It was a five-centimeter-wide choker, but still…

“I’m on Lu-Pan, darling. I told you, it’s the place to hold up. Turns out all this ocean is great for warfare.”

“What are you talking about?”

Cor stared at them, through a lens that connected them instantly across so much space.

Was he really deciding whether or not to tell them? Since when did they keep secrets?

“One of your cousins tried to have me snatched from a club a few days ago so I moved the party to Lu-Pan… It’s more defensible.”

Stardust was glad they were already sitting, ass on the floor and legs crossed. “Why…” they trailed but they knew the answer. It was either because they thought Cor would be able to tell them something about the map on Stardust’s back or because if they put a gun to his head, Stardust would surrender…and they would. They would put their hands up and give up the whole game.

Cor laughed, the sound somehow full of sympathy. “Come on. Don’t look like that. It’s not a surprise. It’s flattering really. Do you know what this will do for my reputation? First a Solinoh sends a party of goons and turns one of the hottest clubs in the prime into a shooting gallery. You should have seen it. Who knew so many of us were packing? It turned into an absolute bloodbath and the music never stopped. It was in all the tabloids. A bunch of them are speculating that it was a gimmick. I guess we broke a record for the expense just to put everyone back together afterward. I heard a medpod broke under the strain.”

“That can’t be true,” Stardust countered automatically, still absorbing the information. But legit medpods were basically indestructible, designed for long travel in space by the primers afraid of what could happen to them out there in the unknown. The Solinoh’s had the company with exclusive rights to producing the particular cocktail of energy and protein that charged the miraculous machines. It was a great scorn to the family that they hadn’t gotten their hands on the medpods before production and distribution to install the planned obsolescence that would have made them even wealthier.

“So I escaped to Lu-Pan but the shit actually followed me,” Cor continued, grinning and clearly not upset about the fact in the least. “Did you know I have a rail gun on my island?”

Stardust did not, but they also weren’t surprised. Lu-Pan was a massive ocean planet known for mining stations and luxury islands. The islands were all synthetic and had become the go-to escape for all primers as well as the setting for a dozen soap operas.

“I really wish you’d been here. When they realized they couldn’t sneak onto my island they tried to show up with jets and just shoot the shit out of it. I’m going to have to have the whole thing remodeled!” he said, delighted. “And then—” Cor cut himself off.

Stardust stared. “What?”

He bit his lip, trying not to smile but it was far too late to contain it. “I might have captured your cousin…”

“What do you mean might have? And which cousin?” It mattered. It definitely mattered. Capturing any Solinoh was dangerous but some were more vengeful than others.

His grin escaped his teeth. “I mean that I’ve got Vida Solinoh locked in a room downstairs.” He enjoyed the sentence too much. “It’s not my fault. They attacked me. I even retreated to Lu-Pan. Vida brought the fight to my doorstep.” Cor defended and he was right. By all primer rules, Vida was the aggressor and if Cor really had them captured, was fairly taken. The Solinohs couldn’t call it an act of war…but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t treat it like one. “I might not have downed that jet if I’d realized they were piloting it themself. It’s a good thing they’re so recognizable or I might have had them shot in the water when they swam to the surface.”

Stardust gawked. Why was Vida getting involved? Did they want the prize for themself or had someone else in the family enlisted their aid? Was it Genesis? “What are you going to do?” they asked, still reeling.

Cor shrugged. “Breakfast is being set up. I suppose I’ll bring your cousin up for the meal. No reason not to be civil.”

Stardust nodding absently. Prime families had a long history of kidnapping one another. Some stayed kidnapped for cycles until a family dispute or corporate siege could be settled. After the initial abduction, it was generally a pleasant affair… Assuming all went well with negotiations. It did sometimes result in a bullet to the brain for at least one party involved.

Stardust had discovered that kidnapping was a much different experience outside the prime.

“You should have heard my mother. I don’t think she’s ever been this interested in me. She’s talking about marriage negotiations.”

“To Vida?”

Cor shrugged noncommittally and Stardust realized there was a very real chance he hadn’t bothered to ask. A Solinoh was a Solinoh, after all.

Stardust laughed, finally joining him in the madness of the situation. “Cornelius Contessa Ignacio Li Solinoh?”

“It has a ring, doesn’t it?”

It did. But it wasn’t likely to happen. Primers loved a wedding and most had a handful of spouses carefully linking all the most powerful and dangerous families in the known universe into alliances. Most, but not the Solinohs.

There had been a time, centuries ago, when things had been different and the Solinohs had been climbing that social ladder just like everyone else. Since the old days of earth, the Solinohs had been trying to build their numbers and keep that legacy alive. They’d had wealth and power, but they’d always been dirty in a way that the primers sneered at, making it hard to get into marriages with them—to tie their family into that network.

Stardust thought they understood, because once a person took the Solinoh name, there was no escape. Their own great great grandfather had been proof of that. Massimo had tried to leave Galileo. He had left… but he had never escaped. Galileo let him go, paid him an allowance, and pretended he was free. But he was still a Solinoh even when he dropped the name and his daughter—Galileo’s daughter—made him irrevocably a part of that crime family, for better and worse.

Stardust had seen the old records of relatives and marveled at how the numbers dropped off three hundred years ago. They’d been a hundred strong, and then they’d been a handful.

The reckoning of Galileo.

The reshaping of the family.

The primers had thought they would at last witness the fall of Solinoh when that new Galileo rose to power, climbing the bodies of her bloodline to the top. They had been wrong. Theodosia Solinoh had gone from an ensign of her family, a youth generations below the crown, almost lost in the numbers of her cousins—to the Galileo. And she had culled every member that did not kneel, leaving just that handful by the end.

And that handful had been hungry. In the next hundred cycles she was behind four wars, political and corporate, and the family was there to profit off every turn.

Solinohs had monster in their blood.

Stardust’s gaze strayed to their arms in their lap and the veins under their skin.

Monster.

“Are you okay?”

Stardust wondered if Galileo had thought she was different from her family when she decided to topple them. What if they were all trapped by that blood? Bound to be who they were born to be, one way or the other? A monster in the prime or a monster out here in the dark where only one person would pay for all their sins?

“Hey,” Cor said, loud enough to snap them back to attention.

Stardust blinked at the image of their friend and smiled. “Yeah. I’m here. If you’re going to have Vida at your table, remember to keep some guards around. They’ll try to make a run for it.”

Cornelius curled a lip in disgust.

“I know. But they’ve never been abducted. They’ll want to get away on their own before someone comes to collect them, especially since it’ll probably be Fatima.”

Cor’s mouth twitched into a smile again. “Do you think it will be?”

Stardust exhaled a laugh but it felt strained. They were trying to stay in this conversation and this moment—and not think about how they might be getting Cosmic killed out here. Was it too late to cut and run? Was there any chance Genesis wouldn’t run the bounty hunter down even without Stardust onboard?

“Why did you call?”

“Hm?”

“You didn’t call to hear about my triumphant battle with your cousin. What’s going on? Have you found the end?”

The end. The end of the map. The treasure.

Stardust shook their head. “Just checking in. Still on my way.”

Cor studied them and then nodded once. “Okay. Anything else going on?”

Stardust shrugged. “No.”

With a laugh he said, “Right. I believe that.”

Stardust rubbed the back of their neck and cut a glance around the narrow little room with one cot and a bunch of boxes. “I should have taken a ship when we were at that last station and gone the rest of the way on my own.”

“You can’t read the map without another person.”

“I could figure it out.”

“What is this about?”

They scrubbed their face and shook their head. “Nothing. Just getting nervous I guess.”

“About Genesis? You should be.” He laughed, like all that danger was a fun game they played. And it was. That club in the prime had turned into a blood bath and before they were even done putting everyone back together, it was hailed as a fun time. Stardust knew that if they had been there, before all of this, they would have felt just as casual about it as Cornelius did. “If you have to, you could use that pretty bounty hunter for a decoy. It might buy you enough time to get away if Genesis corners you,” he suggested.

Stardust rubbed their heart again. They couldn’t even pretend they hadn’t thought about it already.

Monster.

“You’d make a good Solinoh,” they said with a smile.

He touched his chest as the flattery struck and then they ended the call.

There had been a time when that would have been an insult, just as there had been a time when primers would have turned up their noses at a marriage with a Solinoh. But Solinohs did not marry to climb that social ladder anymore. In fact, they didn’t marry often at all. A few had secret spouses, hidden away so that not even the family would know who they were, but nothing ever stayed secret forever.

Stardust closed their eyes and there, in the dark, they still saw the holographic reminder to check their messages.

Breath trembling past their lips, they opened their eyes and pulled one up—the last one of four sent by Genesis over the last few weeks.

Artificial light made him glow, his dark hair in long curtains and his red lips parted in disapproval. His head tipped to the side, tattoos peeking up from the collar of his shirt to fan up the back of his neck. For the first time in a long time, Stardust was reminded that this man was the son of Galileo. He looked so much like her that just the sight of him sent a jolt of terror right down to Stardust’s soul.

His voice was quiet, because his anger did not require a raised voice. “If you surrender, I’ll let them live.”

They held their breath.

“If you don’t—If you put your hands on the—” he bit off the words and they wondered if he was going to say treasure too or if was just thinking better of admitting to knowing what they were all after. His cold, dark eyes met the camera and pierced through it to Stardust when he said, “I will kill them all, cousin. I will hunt down and see to the end of your pathetic fucking parents. I will make sure every friend of yours burns. And, so help me, I will break that bounty hunter you have chauffeuring you around the edge. You’ll see it all and beg me to end you too.”

#to the edge #defying gravity series #the adventures of stardust and cosmic #audio script to novel #own work #ride or die in space #sci fi romance #<3 #dominimoonbeam #clover down

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sirfrogsworth · 8 months ago

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This might sound like a weird question, but have you ever come across a camera with a Bird Watching setting? I have an Olympus SP-800UZ and one of the modes it comes programmed with is literally called that, for taking pictures of birds in the wild.

As someone whose special interest is birds, I love this setting and use it a LOT, but I've never been able to find another camera with a setting like it, and at some point I told myself I didn't want to replace the camera until I could find one with a similar setting.

The reason I ask is because I've been following for a while, and I've come to respect your opinions on photography.

I tried researching your camera and figuring out what exactly the bird watching mode does and even the official manual did not say. If I were to guess, it just sets the camera up with certain parameters that are usually ideal for photographing birds, but I don't think it does anything special that other cameras can't do. You would just have to set a different camera up to those parameters rather than the camera doing it for you.

If I were to guess, it probably enables a certain autofocus mode for small subjects and limits how slow the shutter speed can go so you don't get motion blur when very zoomed in.

However, I know exactly which features are important to get good bird photos, so as long as the camera has the following features, you don't really need a dedicated bird mode. Though if a camera has a "pet mode" it would probably work similarly to the bird mode you are used to.

Most important bird photography features...

Good autofocus

Good zoom range

Image stabilization (Either optical or sensor, not digital)

Autofocus has come a long way in the last few years. It's difficult to assess the autofocus from specifications alone, so you will probably need to rely on reviews to know if the camera locks in on subjects well. Some cameras have pet and wildlife autofocus features that can be very helpful in tracking smaller subjects like birds. So I would look out for any camera that has a pet autofocus mode or a review that says it locks onto smaller subjects well—even if they don't mention birds. If it can lock onto a chihuahua, it can usually do so with a bird too.

Birds and wildlife in general tend to get spooked easily and it is often difficult to get close without them running or flying away. So having a longer zoom range can really help you keep your distance and not startle your subject. I would say the minimum focal length for getting good bird shots is around 300mm (on a full frame camera). Some cameras only quantify their zoom by magnification (20x, 30x, 40x, etc.) and don't really say what that is in relation to. So focal length is a better metric to assess how zoomy a lens is. 10-35mm would be wide angle. 50mm is about like our eyes. 100mm is slightly telephoto. And 300mm and above would be very telephoto.

You may need to google the focal range equivalent to a full frame 35mm camera. So you would search "[camera model] 35mm equivalent focal range" to figure that out. And as long as it goes past 300mm, it might be a good candidate for birding.

When you have a camera that zooms in that far, any movement will be exaggerated—especially if you have naturally shaky hands. Not only can that introduce motion blur into your images, but it can make it very difficult to track your subject. Looking through the viewfinder will result in a wiggly mess and you won't know what you are pointing the camera at.

Image stabilization helps negate that exaggerated movement.

There are 3 kinds of stabilization. First is optical, which is built into the lens with a floating glass element. Then there is sensor stabilization (often called IBIS for "in-body image stabilization") which allows the sensor to shift and move to counteract any motion introduced by your hands. And the last form is digital stabilization which is done using the camera's software.

The first two are physical solutions that can adjust on the fly much like a chicken's head.

The digital solution is mostly just fancy image cropping. It zooms in a tiny bit on your image and then aligns a continuous crop to give the appearance of a stable image.

The lens and the sensor are still a jiggling mess, but this constant cropping allows you to see the illusion of a stable image in your viewfinder and in the videos you take. And while this is very helpful for tracking subjects and capturing video footage, it will not help you negate motion blur—which is why the other two methods are preferred for still photography.

Bigger cameras can often forego stabilization because the zoom lenses are bigger and heavier and don't shake as much and they let in a lot more light so you can raise your shutter speed to freeze motion. It's still nice to have, and if you have IBIS and optical stabilization combined on a big camera you can almost take pictures in the dark without camera shake, but all of those conveniences can get costly.

The camera you have now is called a "bridge" camera or a "superzoom". These are (relatively) inexpensive cameras that use a smaller smartphone-style sensor but with a more classic camera body surrounding it and a non-changeable lens. Small sensors have one big advantage where if you put a zoom lens in front of them, they can see from Alaska to Russia.

For instance, your camera has an 840mm equivalent lens. That is near telescopic.

For reference, this is what an 800mm lens looks like for a full frame professional camera.

It weighs 10 pounds and costs about $13,000.

Granted the image quality of that lens is in another universe compared to your superzoom, but if you are mostly interested in documenting the birds you are encountering, a superzoom is a neat tool to have. It's like digital binoculars.

So I guess the question is, do you just want to document your bird adventures or do you want to delve into artistic bird photography?

You can upgrade to a nicer superzoom and get some improved clarity and ease-of-use features, which is totally valid. You could even get a "premium" superzoom that can do artistic bird photography in ideal lighting conditions.

Or if you go with a more professional interchangeable lens camera system (ILC), you can achieve some stunning artistic photos like these...

Freezing a bird midflight while catching a fish is just not really feasible with a basic superzoom.

Let's talk about the advantages and disadvantages of a superzoom bridge camera as compared to a more professional ILC setup.

Superzoom Pros

No learning curve. These cameras are designed for novice photographers and have very good automatic functions. You can pretty much pull them out of the box and start taking pictures without knowing the fundamentals of photography.

Incredible zoominess. You can get amazing zoom power for a fraction of the price.

Budget friendly. The top of the line superzoom camera is still only about $1500 as compared to the top of the line mirrorless ILC (for wildlife) which is $6500 *without* a lens. And the lower to mid range superzooms are even more affordable, especially if you consider used options.

Superzoom Cons

Noisy images in low light. These cameras are mostly suited for bright sunny days. The small sensors and cheaper lenses do not capture very much light. In more challenging lighting situations you will tend to get very noisy images due to using a high ISO to compensate.

Inconsistent image quality. Under the best of circumstances, you can get some really beautiful photographs. But when you push the camera to its extremes, the image quality can start to deteriorate. Low light causes noise. The more you zoom in, the softer your images will get. Low megapixels limit your options to crop in on far away subjects—which is often an issue with wildlife.

Deep depth of field. A lot of bird photographers like using shallow depth of field to blur the background so the bird really stands out in the photo. Small sensors can have a very hard time blurring the background unless the subject is quite far away and you are zoomed all the way in. But when you are all the way zoomed in, the image can get soft and lack detail. So you trade image quality for a blurry background.

Lack of professional features and accessories. There are many advanced features that can make bird photography much easier. Some cameras have advanced motion tracking that can allow you to capture birds in flight. The latest generation can even track a tiny bird's eye. There are also accessories that are only made for ILCs. Like motion activated shutter triggers that will take a picture of a bird automatically if you set up a camera near a feeder. There are flashes that work at very long distances. You can get camouflage skins for your lenses so the birds can't see you. Stuff like that.

ILC Pros

Lower image noise. With a bigger sensor and better lenses you can shoot with a very low ISO in good light and get incredibly clean noise-less images.

Better high ISO performance. If you are in low light, you can increase the ISO and still get a very good image. The noise on an ILC is much less distracting and easier to deal with—especially with advanced noise reduction software.

Background blur is easy. Due to the much larger sensor and telephoto lenses, almost every telephoto image will have beautiful blurry backgrounds no matter how small the aperture is.

Sharper, faster lenses. The lenses are much sharper and let in a lot more light. The quality of the image does not decrease as you zoom in. And the sharp optics allow a lot of leeway for cropping. So even if a bird was super far away, you can crop the image after the fact and it will still be quite detailed.

More megapixels. A lot of bird photography needs to be cropped in due to subject distance. Having more megapixels allows for more cropping. (I know I keep talking about cropping, but it really is a huge aspect of most bird photography.)

Advanced autofocus. This is the big game changer, especially on the new mirrorless cameras. The latest Canon and Sony cameras have eye detect autofocus for animals. You can literally lock onto a bird's eye while it is in flight and get perfect focus. It's bonkers.

ILC Cons

Steep learning curve. A lot of people think they'll get a big ILC and immediately get better pictures than their smartphone. They are often disappointed when that isn't the case. You really need to learn the fundamentals of photography to get good photos out of an ILC (free course here). They do have automatic modes, but without learning about aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (the exposure triangle) and how to balance them and when to prioritize what, you might end up with *worse* photos than a smartphone.

Wildlife photography can get very expensive. Big lenses with a lot of zoom are some of the priciest available. There are some budget options, but you will have to sacrifice quite a bit of zoom and light-gathering capabilities. The quality of the photos is usually worth it, but you may have to learn how to get closer to birds to photograph them.

Heavy as heck. Superzooms are very light and portable. A wildlife ILC configuration is very unwieldy. The camera is heavier. The lens is long and heavy. Carrying all of that gear into the wilderness can be quite a hassle.

Some camera suggestions...

Superzoom Options

If I'm being honest, in the sub $300 range, I don't think you'll be able to drastically improve over what you already have. All of the cameras in this range are quite similar and while a few might have some features that are helpful, the image quality is going to be roughly the same.

You are probably going to need to spend at least $400-700 to get a meaningful upgrade from what you have.

The top-of-the-line superzoom would be the Sony RX10 Mark IV at $1100 used. You can get the previous model, the Mark III, for about $900 used. It's a wonderful camera and the image quality and features rival or even surpass some ILC options. If you don't have the time to learn an ILC system but want the best possible quality, this might be an option. But an ILC will still give you better results if you are willing to put in the time.

For more mid-tier superzooms, you might look into the Panasonic Lumix models. They use slightly larger sensors than most superzooms and are known for their lens optical quality along with their stabilization.

The FZ1000 is getting very old, but it is still a powerful camera at a good price. The only downside is the focusing system isn't as advanced as newer cameras. But it will be better than what you have and you can find one used for around $400.

The newer FZ1000 II or the FZ2500 would be great options that have more modern autofocus and a lot more bells and whistles. They are fairly similar and can both be found for around $650 used. They do great video as well.

These are not the only options, but they are ones I know of and models I have heard positive things about. If you want to see what else is out there I would google "bridge superzoom cameras" and then maybe add your price range as well. Read reviews and watch YouTube videos to get a sense of the cameras you are interested in. As long as the camera has decent autofocus, I don't think you need a specific bird feature—so I wouldn't limit yourself in that regard.

ILC Options

When trying to come up with a good bird photography setup for interchangeable lens cameras, there is basically an easy, medium, and hard mode depending on how much you spend.

As I mentioned, the top-of-the-line mirrorless cameras have autofocus tracking that can lock onto a bird's eye while in flight. They have both IBIS and lenses with optical stabilization. They have burst modes that let you take 30 photos per second. They have 50 megapixel sensors that allow you to crop to your heart's content and still have megapixels left over.

It's quite dreamy if you have the money.

But I'm guessing if you are coming from an Olympus bridge camera that is probably a bit more of an upgrade than you were thinking.

So if easy mode is not viable, let's talk about medium and hard mode.

If you still want the bird detecting autofocus, in body image stabilization, and a pretty zoomy lens, Canon has some newer mirrorless cameras that would take amazing artistic bird shots. It's still spendy, but not $9000 spendy.

The Canon R7 is a great APS-C mirrorless camera with IBIS that can be found used for about $1300. It has 32 megapixels and due to having a slightly smaller sensor, you even get some bonus zoom out of all your lenses at about 1.6x. It's still a much larger sensor than a superzoom, just not quite the size of the Alpha 1.

Alpha 1 is Full Frame. R7 is APS-C. And Superzooms don't get any bigger than the 1" sensor.

Pair the R7 with the RF 100-400mm lens ($600 used) with optical stabilization, and you would have a stellar bird photography setup for about $1900. (It would be a 160-640mm equivalent lens on the R7 due to the 1.6x crop factor.)

Which is probably still way more than you want to spend.

So we have the hard mode option.

No bird eye autofocus. No stabilization. You have to learn the fundamentals and practice in order to get good shots. However, wildlife photographers have been getting AMAZING photos with the gear I'm about to suggest. In fact, all of these photos were captured with the hard mode ILC combo.

The Canon 7D Mark II has been a beloved camera body for wildlife photography for many years. Many pros still use it to great effect to this day. It doesn't have bird autofocus, but it still has one of the best DSLR autofocus systems that was ever developed. It can even track moving subjects, it just doesn't know it is tracking a bird so it is more prone to error on occasion. It can be found used for $500-600.

The Canon 400mm F/5.6 telephoto lens is one of the most affordable lenses Canon ever made for wildlife. It is an old lens, but it is sharp and takes beautiful images. No stabilization, but it is big and heavy so that isn't a huge deal. You can also carry a monopod rest it on. And on the 7D II, it is the equivalent of a 640mm lens. It costs around $650 used, which is very inexpensive compared to other telephoto lenses.

So you are looking at around $1200 for the combo. But the photos you can achieve with these two items will blow pretty much any superzoom out of the water.

To sum up...

ILC photography is always going to have a steep learning curve and expensive barrier for entry, but you can achieve some truly stunning results.

Superzooms are getting better and some of the newer ones can still take excellent pictures of birds under the right circumstances. They are lightweight and hassle free and allow you to get incredible zooms for a low cost.

If you mostly take photos of stationary birds outside on bright sunny days, you will be fairly happy with a superzoom.

If you want to take photos during darker times like sunrise or sunset or in a dense forest... or if you want to take photos of birds mid-flight, you will probably have to get an ILC.

I hope that was helpful. I know I overdo these answers, but I try to help as many people as I can by giving a broad overview of the topic and the myriad ways to go about things.

#photography #long post

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usafphantom2 · 1 month ago

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The U.S. Air Force Has Released The First Official Images Of The B-52 In Orange Paint Scheme

David CenciottiLast updated: October 4, 2024 1:54 PM

B-52 orange

The B-52 sporting the amazing throwback paint scheme has returned at Barksdale Air Force Base.

As reported in details a few days ago, a U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber was photographed by our friend Rob Stephens at Redhome Aviation, taking off from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, home of the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex, on Sept. 30, 2024 sporting an eye catching paint scheme.

The B-52 sporting the amazing throwback paint scheme has returned at Barksdale Air Force Base.Under testing after six decades of operationsThe previous orange BUFFs

The B-52H 61-0028 “Wolfpack” had forward fuselage, wings near the wingtips, engine nacelles, and vertical stabilizer painted in dayglo orange, contrasting the typical overall dark gray paint of the Stratofortress aircraft. As explained, the bomber was not given any markings, as the “OT” and “49 TES” tail markings, black arrow point on the tail, and “U.S. Air Force” on the fuselage will be applied upon return to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.

The U.S. Air Force has now released some official images of the test aircraft.

These photographs depict the “throwback B-52” arriving at Barksdale. According to the captions, “the test orange scheme was used to remind everyone of the B-52’s incredible journey and continuous progress made in the U.S. Air Force.”

A B-52H Stratofortress with a special orange paint scheme parks after landing at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Sept. 30, 2024. The orange paint scheme was used to signify the B-52’s modernization while paying respect to its legacy. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Hill)

The B-52 with orange accents that touched down at Barksdale is part of the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron, which leads operational testing for the bombers.

U.S. Air Force Aircrew from the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron, 53d Wing, gather beside a U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress with a special orange paint scheme at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. Sept. 30, 2024. The orange color represents a test and evaluation paint scheme based on the test and evaluations conducted during the 1950s and 1960s, honoring the B-52’s history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Hill)

Under testing after six decades of operations

In the next few years, the Air Force plans to modernize its fleet of B-52H bombers with a series of upgrades that will extend the bomber’s service life into the 2050s, by which time the aircraft will be nearing 100 years in operation.

The “new” B-52s will be designated B-52J.

Rolls-Royce F130 engines will replace the aging Pratt & Whitney TF33-PW-103 engines through its remaining operational life, significantly improving fuel efficiency, range, and reducing maintenance costs. Another key upgrade is the installation of a modified version of the APG-79 AESA radar, used in the F/A-18EF Super Hornet. This radar will enhance the B-52’s range and situational awareness while freeing up space for additional electronic warfare capabilities. Externally, the removal of the AN/ASQ-151 Electro-Optical Viewing System (EVS) will streamline the bomber’s appearance, as modern targeting pods have made the EVS obsolete.

Inside, the B-52 cockpit will receive new digital multifunction displays, a hybrid mechanical-to-digital throttle system, new data concentrators, and an upgraded engine management system. While not a fully modern glass cockpit, these upgrades will improve functionality. Additionally, crew size will be reduced from five to four members.

The B-52J will also feature humps near the wing roots, possibly for classified equipment such as satellite communications systems, further enhancing the bomber’s capabilities.

The Air Force aims to complete integration and deliver the first modified B-52s by 2026-2027, with full operational capability anticipated by 2030.

U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron, 53rd Wing, gather beside a B-52H Stratofortress with a special orange paint scheme at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. Sept. 30, 2024. The orange color represents a test and evaluation paint scheme based on the test and evaluations conducted during the 1950s and 1960s, honoring the B-52’s history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Hill)

The previous orange BUFFs

In mid-1957, NASA made the decision to replace the B-36 Peacemaker with the B-52 Stratofortress as the launch aircraft for the X-15 hypersonic research program. The B-36 was nearing the end of its operational life, and it was anticipated that finding spare parts to maintain it after retirement would be challenging.

As the X-15 project advanced, two B-52 Stratofortresses, the NB-52A and NB-52B, were chosen to serve as the launch platforms. The NB-52B, designated 52-0008 and nicknamed “The Challenger,” continued in this role until its last mission in November 2004, while the NB-52A, known as “The High and Mighty One” with tail number 52-0003, was retired earlier in 1969. “The High and Mighty One” is still preserved and displayed at the Pima Air & Space Museum in Arizona, with its distinctive orange markings.

High-altitude contrails frame the B-52 mothership as it carries the X-15 aloft for a research flight on 13 April 1960 on Air Force Maj. Robert M. White’s first X-15 flight. The X-15s were air-launched so that they would have enough rocket fuel to reach their high speed and altitude test points. For this early research flight, the X-15 was equipped with a pair of XLR-11 rocket engines until the XLR-99 was available. (Image credit: NASA)

The NB-52B served as an airborne launch platform, essentially acting as a flying launch pad. It operated at altitudes of nine miles, providing the rocket planes it carried with necessary fuels, gases, and electrical power. To handle this role, the right wing of the aircraft was reinforced and equipped with a pylon capable of carrying over 50,000 pounds—approximately a fifth of the aircraft’s total weight. This made the Stratofortress a crucial asset in various aeronautical research endeavors, including those that eventually contributed to the development of the Space Shuttle.

One of the NB-52B’s key contributions was helping validate the Space Shuttle’s steep gliding landings. It accomplished this by launching wingless lifting bodies, which demonstrated that such landings were possible. The aircraft also played a vital role in testing parachutes for recovering the Shuttle’s solid rocket boosters and the drag chute used during Shuttle landings. Despite its increasing age and the growing cost of maintenance, the NB-52B continued to support a wide array of cutting-edge research throughout the 1970s and 1980s, launching drones, remotely piloted vehicles, and experimental payloads.

In addition to its launch duties, the NB-52B was used in research on wake turbulence, served as a target for gunnery exercises, and tested fuel additives aimed at reducing pollution. At one point, it flew with ten engines when additional engines were mounted under the bomb bay for testing purposes. During the X-38 program, the aircraft deployed the largest parafoil in history, with a surface area larger than a Boeing 747’s wing.

The NB-52B’s last mission took place in 2004, when it launched the X-43A, which reached a speed of Mach 9.6 using the most powerful air-breathing engine ever built. After a long and significant career contributing to both aviation and space research, the NB-52B was officially retired on December 17, 2004, during a ceremony at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center.

At the time of its retirement, “Balls 8” (a nickname derived from its NASA tail number 52-008, where military slang refers to leading zeroes as “Balls”) was the oldest B-52 still in active service and the only one that wasn’t an H model. It also had the lowest total flight hours of any operational B-52. The aircraft is now displayed permanently near the north gate of Edwards Air Force Base in California.

@TheAviationist.com

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melishade · 2 months ago

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Attack on Prime New Age Anthology: Return to that Sick Mind I

Main Story

Comforting the weak

Icebreakers

Strange Technology

"Well, all of the dark energon has officially been expelled from Megatron's spark, and I've been able to stabilize him with enough energon to compensate for the loss," Knockout proclaimed as he walked into the meeting room, with all the Autobots sitting around a table, "And Wheeljack is almost ready to be discharged."

"Should have let Buckethead die on the medical table," Smokescreen grumbled.

"Dear Arcee is making a miraculous recovery while Optimus is still unconscious for the time being," Knockout added before sitting down.

"When will 'Cee be back on her pedes?" Bumblebee asked.

"Depends on a few things," Knockout answered, "She is awake and able to move, but she will need some modifications to make up for the burns she received. I saw flakes of dark energon in her joints. I don't know how it got there, but it did."

"We will ask Arcee personally when she has recovered enough," Ultra Magnus declared as he sat up from his seat. He walked over to the screens and pressed a few buttons on the keyboard. The screens glowed, and images of text messages appeared on all of them, "These are all messages from Jack. He's been feeding us information about this world and any and all information about the human allies to Optimus and Megatron on this world."

Ultra Magnus pressed a few more buttons on the keyboard and pictures of the Survey Corps captured during the final battle, followed by their names and age were displayed on the screen. "We have the titan shifters: Annie Leonhart, Pieck Finger, and Ymir in our possession. What is the status of their tests?"

"So far, no signs of genetic mutations to those powers based on Wheeljack's information," Ratchet informed.

"Which is good," Ultra Magnus declared, "We will no doubt need to run some examinations on some of the others to confirm there will be no...'titan transformations.'"

"Hey, is Miko calling them 'Kaiju'?" Knockout couldn't help but ask.

"Yep," Bulkhead replied.

"Not only have Jack, Miko, and Rafael acquired information regarding this world's history," Ultra Magnus continued as he showed the image of the flow chart Rafael had taken a picture of and sent to Jack, "But there have also been reports on both Optimus and Megatron. Optimus' personality has remained the same for the most part. But...there have been some outlandish claims made by these humans regarding Megatron."

Ultra Magnus showed the screens of Jack's messages that he sent over regarding Megatron. As the Autobots started reading the screens, they were all baffled.

"Throwing books at Megatron?" Smokescreen read aloud, "Saving a human from committing suicide? Pretending to be a human for reconnaissance?"

"Does that say a human blackmailed Megatron?!" Ratchet exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yes, the Commander, Hanji Zoe," Ultra Magnus answered, "Jack noticed the way they were smiling when they told the story."

"And they're still alive?!" Ratchet demanded.

Knockout clasped his claws and placed them over his mouth, his optics wide at all the information that he was reading.

"There are multiple accounts that do state of Megatron's cruel behavior," Ultra Magnus continued, "But by the ends of their interactions with him, he had performed an act of kindness. For example, saving the life of an enemy, or creating a cure to an energon virus for a human that was working as part of an enemy state."

"Primus' sake this isn't happening!" Ratchet clutched his helm in a panic.

"Isn't there a way to fact check these claims?" Bulkhead asked, "There's no way that this is actually true. Megatron helping out humans? Megatron being kind to them?"

"Recent behavior would suggest that Megatron no longer has that same bloodlust and need for violence," Ultra Magnus retorted, "We've all seen the way Megatron was acting during the conflict. He was saving humans, Predaking mentioned he had saved him from being crushed."

"...he saved my life," Bumblebee looked down at his servos that were resting on the table, "Why? Why in the Allspark would Megatron save my life? Especially since I'm the one who killed him?"

Ratchet stared at Bumblebee with concern and guilt over the warrior's stressed expression.

"In any case, the council does want an answer on Megatron's condition, and are debating whether or not to make this a public trial," Ultra Magnus informed, "Megatron will ultimately need to answer for his crimes."

"Wheeljack warned us that the humans won't let us take him without a fight," Bulkhead reminded, "Is that really true? That humans would come to Megatron's aid?"

"The unfortunate truth is that the benefits he might have had on this planet pale in comparison to the destruction he's caused," Ultra Magnus reminded.

"But why would the humans want to fight for him? Why would the humans care for him?" Bumblebee slammed his servos into the table, "...We need to find out the truth. Their accounts might not be enough...We need to go into Megatron's mind."

Bumblebee winced a little at the sounds of everyone screaming at him like he had lost his senses.

"No! NO! NO!" Smokescreen yelled.

"Bee, are you crazy?!" Bulkhead demanded

"Absolutely not!" Ultra Magnus ordered.

"The cortical psychic patch doesn't alter memories-!"

"And the last time you went into Megatron's mind, he followed you back and took over your body!" Ratchet reminded, "What's to say that won't happen again?!"

"We didn't do a proper power down procedure!" Bumblebee reminded, "Knockout, you're an expert in using this!"

"Okay, yes, you guys didn't do a proper shut down which allowed for the cross in the first place!" Knockout relented, "But Megatron has more experience with the cortical psychic patch than you! He can't alter memories, but he'd be able to move around more freely than you!"

"But we need this evidence to present to the council, right?!" Bumblebee addressed Ultra Magnus, "You need a full report!"

"I do, but I am not risking you or anyone else on my team to go into Megatron's mind!" Ultra Magnus declared.

"Bee, do you really want to be inside the helm of the same guy who killed you and took your voice?!" Smokescreen demanded, "If Rung were here, he'd say this would be bad for your mental health!"

"Bumblebee, why would you even consider this-!"

"Because I need to know!" Bumblebee declared, "I need to know the truth! None of this makes any sense! And you guys know that too! Hasn't this been bothering all of you?!"

The Autobots looked away in confliction and Bumblebee continued.

"The fact that Wheeljack is so confident, the fact that Megatron had saved the lives of people who mean little to nothing or have slighted him, the fact that those accounts are real!" Bumblebee pointed to the screens, "It means that something is different! And we need to find out for ourselves."

Ratchet and Knockout looked over at Ultra Magnus, waiting for the Commander to give the final word. Ultra Magnus grimaced before turning to Bumblebee.

"You will stay in there for ten minutes. The minute that there are any signs of distress, you get pulled out," Ultra Magnus ordered.

Later

"Everything is almost ready," Knockout informed as he double checked Megatron's brain activity. Bumblebee stared at Megatron and took note of the condition he was in while on the berth next to him. He didn't open his optics, the brown of his armor had completely eroded, leaving nothing but silver and purple. His build was still the same, and he had a tube pumping energon into his chest.

"Bumblebee, you do not have to do this, even for your own curiosity," Ratchet pleaded with him.

"...We need the information." Bumblebee lied down on the berth and waited for Knockout.

"We will be communicating with you while you are in Megatron's mind," Ultra Magnus informed.

The other Autobots watched with apprehension as Knockout pulled out the patch. He attached the first end to the back of Megatron's helm before walking over to Bumblebee with the other end. He kneeled down and was about to attach the device but stopped.

"Last chance," Knockout warned.

Bumblebee vented. "Do it."

Bumblebee felt the device latch onto the back of his helm. He felt the device rotate and click into place. And then...his insides dropped as he felt himself falling. Bumblebee yelled in surprise before he covered his optics with his servo. Don't think about it. It wasn't real. You would be fine. It would be fine! It-!

He was underwater.

Bumblebee gasped as he sat straight up, emerging from the water. Instinctually, he coughed whatever was left in his insides and started to hyperventilate.

"Bumblebee! Bumblebee!" he heard Ratchet calling through his comm. link.

The warrior relaxed at the sound of Ratchet's voice. "I'm good. I'm fine."

"Then where are you?" Ratchet asked.

Bumblebee took a look at his surroundings. This wasn't the lava-induced, brimstone, and gothic scenery that was Kaon. It...it looked like he was sitting in the middle of a river, at night. The river wasn't energon; it was water. And trees lined the edges of the river.

"I...I don't know," Bumblebee confessed, "Is this Earth?"

"Not a place I've seen," Knockout replied.

Bumblebee wanted to question it more but stopped when he noticed something glowing out of the corner of his optic. He looked down and saw...a water lantern. It's small light traveling down the river past him. Bumblebee looked ahead and gasped at the sight of more lanterns coming his way. Some of them floated along the water, while other flew high into the sky. Bumblebee stood up and couldn't help but reach out to touch one of them, but his servo phased right through the decorated light.

"Bumblebee, tread with caution. This could very well be a trick," Ultra Magnus warned.

Bumblebee trudged through the water of the river, going towards the lights and searching through it for any sign of Megatron. Bumblebee noticed a few boats along the river, filled with fishermen that watched the lights above and in the water. Bumblebee still questioned where he was and why everything was so calm. He thought about calling for Megatron to stir him from his subconscious, but...that's when he heard the sniffling.

Bumblebee looked up ahead and saw three people in a boat. The one on his far left was a middle-aged man wearing glasses, a green kimono, and a cartoonish mask on the side of his head. In the middle, was another older looking human, wearing all grey. A flower was tucked behind his ear while a demon mask was situated on the other side of his head. And...those red eyes looked familiar. Why did they look familiar? Bumblebee then noticed the way that the one in the middle was seated, like he was blocking the first human from seeing...

A crying teenage girl. Wait...she was there during the fight. Her hair was slightly longer here, just reaching up to her neck. She wore a pink kimono with cherry blossom patterns, and a fox mask was on the back of her head. Her hands covered her mouth to muffle her cries, and tears still streamed down her cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Bumblebee felt his spark freeze at the sound of that voice coming from the human in the middle. No way. There was no way! Was that Megatron's voice coming out of the human?! Was that Megatron?!

"Wait, Megatron has a holoform?!" Smokescreen screeched.

"I didn't know about this!" Knockout insisted.

"How did you not know?!" Bulkhead yelled at him.

“I’m trying to remember my mom,” Bumblebee heard the girl speak through hiccups, “What she would look like when seeing this, but all I can remember is her corpse. I can’t remember what my mom looked like. It’s been so long.”

“…do you know where her spark might have gone?” Megatron finally asked, before correcting himself, "Her soul...I mean."

“I don’t know,” she answered, “I knew the wall religion was a sham, but…if there’s no sure existence of a god or another life, does that mean that my mom is gone forever? And my father? Dr. Jaeger? Carla? Everyone I love? Does it all mean nothing in the end?”

Bumblebee felt pity for the girl and her plight. She must've been through so much. And to not know or even have that reassurance must've been eating her up from the inside out. Bumblebee noticed the way that Megatron looked...conflicted. He saw the human form raise a hand to his chest, and Bumblebee could've sworn he was contemplating something before he lower his hand and slouched forward. “Your mother...she could’ve been reincarnated.”

Bumblebee gawked in surprise. There was no way. There was no way that he would tell her-!

“On Cybertron, when one of us dies, it is said that our sparks return to where we were first created: the Well of the Allsparks,” Megatron explained, his gaze wandering to the lanterns floating in the water, “The Well resides within the core of our planet, along with our creator, Primus. The spark remerges from the Well and is reborn as another Cybertronian."

Bumblebee saw Megatron looking over to his left. "They do not remember their previous life. They do not remember their glory or their sins. They don't remember good and evil. The ledger of their previous life is wiped completely clean."

Bumblebee saw Megatron lower his hand into the water and push something along. The warrior realized that it was a lantern that Megatron had freed. "And they are given a chance to start anew.”

The girl looked at the lanterns before looking down at her bandaged wrist “Do you think that reincarnation would be possible for humans? That my mom got a chance at a new life of peace?”

Megatron turned his gaze back to her. "I wouldn't know,...but you humans tend to surprise me.”

The girl gave Megatron a small, tired smile, content with the hope of that knowledge. “Thank you.”

Bumblebee saw Megatron just grunt in reply and turn back to the lanterns, clearly trying to shake off the expression of gratitude. Bumblebee's mouth dropped as the girl leaned against Megatron's shoulder and rested her head there. Megatron was clearly taken off guard by the act, and was prepared to remove her, but he paused in his actions, and...he just let her stay there.

"...what the frag?" Bumblebee heard Ultra Magnus swear.

"What are you doing here?" Bumblebee jolted at the voice speaking from behind. He slowly turned his helm to see Megatron standing there in his bipedal mode, looking down at him with contempt.

Bumblebee was frozen by fear, but quickly regained his nerves. "What am I doing here?! I could ask you the same question!" Bumblebee gestured to the environment around him, "Where in the Pits are we?!"

"Kyoto, Hizuru, during the spring festival two years ago," Megatron replied automatically.

Megatron did technically answer the question, but the answer still left Bumblebee baffled. "Okay?!...Why are we here?!"

Megatron turned to the lanterns floating above them both. "I don't know. This is the calmest my mind has been in a long time...I suppose it defaulted to this memory."

Megatron turned his attention back to Bumblebee. "I assume that the other Autobots are watching."

Bumblebee didn't reply, but Megatron already knew the answer.

"Why are you here?" Megatron demanded once again, "I have nothing to offer you in terms of knowledge."

"Well..." Bumblebee glanced back to the memory that was still playing, Megatron now talking to the man on the boat, "We've received conflicting reports about you. And you...you're helping people now? You have humans defending you?!"

Megatron crossed his arms and turned back to the lanterns. "You want to see my memories to corroborate their statements because you don't trust them."

"No, we just don't trust you," Bumblebee declared, "Or what you might have done to them."

Megatron sighed in defeat. "I suppose that's understandable."

Bumblebee's optics felt like they were going to bulge out of his helm. "So...you're okay with us going down memory lane?!"

"It's not like I have a choice in the matter," Megatron reminded as the lantern lights flew further away, "Although I have to warn you, that there are many memories you won't consider pleasant."

The former warlord smirked at Bumblebee's grim expression. "But something tells me you'll find more comfort in my misdeeds than my altruism."

Bumblebee heard Ratchet scoff over the comm. link.

"Bee, there's no shame. Say the word and we'll pull you out," Smokescreen pleaded.

Bumblebee clenched his fists before releasing them. "Your mind. You lead the way."

Megatron merely turned around and walked away from Bumblebee and further down the river. Bumblebee followed them, but looked back to see what was happening in the memory now. He saw Megatron's human form carrying the now sleeping girl on his back, as he and the other man walked up towards the bridge and into town.

This was going to be an interesting ten minutes.

(So I'm going to split this into two parts, but Bumblebee and Megatron are going to be going down memory lane and the Autobots are going to be in for a treat. Knockout's going to whip out the energon goodies and everyone is going to be eagerly watching.

And for those of you who want to read where the chapter of that memory is from here is the Hizuru OVA.)

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kosmonautensuppe · 9 months ago

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Data and imagery from NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover indicate one of two covers that keep dust from accumulating on the optics of the SHERLOC instrument remains partially open. In this position, the cover interferes with science data collection operations. Mounted on the rover’s robotic arm, SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals) uses cameras, a spectrometer, and a laser to search for organic compounds and minerals that have been altered in watery environments and may be signs of past microbial life.

The mission determined on Jan. 6 that the cover was oriented in such a position that some of its operation modes could not successfully operate. An engineering team has been investigating to determine the root cause and possible solutions. Recently, the cover partially opened. To better understand the behavior of the cover’s motor, the team has been sending commands to the instrument that alter the amount of power being fed to it.

With the cover in its current position, the instrument cannot use its laser on rock targets, and cannot collect spectroscopy data.

However, imaging microscopy can still be acquired with WATSON, a color camera on SHERLOC used for taking close-up images of rock grains and surface textures. WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) operates through a different aperture.

#january the 6th...sherlock holmes birthday...maybe a bit too much 7% solution?#mars #perseverance #sherlock holmes #john watson #nasa

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 20 days ago

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Giant Magellan telescope begins primary mirror support system testing

The Giant Magellan Telescope today announced the successful installation of one of its completed 8.4-meter-diameter primary mirrors into a support system prototype at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. This highly sophisticated system — comparable in size to half a basketball court and containing three times the number of parts of a typical car — is vital to the telescope’s optical performance and precision control. The milestone marks the start of a six-month optical testing phase to demonstrate that the support system can control the mirror as required, validating the revolutionary capabilities of the telescope’s primary light-collecting surface.

The Giant Magellan’s 368-square-meter light-collecting surface is composed of seven of the world’s largest optical mirrors arranged in a unique flower pattern. Together, they will provide the highest image resolution over the widest field of view ever achieved for the exploration of the Universe — delivering up to 200 times the power of today’s best telescopes. Each primary mirror weighs 17-metric tons and is supported by a highly specialized pneumatic support system which is housed in a steel weldment, or “cell.” This system works with nanometer precision, and is designed to adjust the mirror’s position, stabilize its temperature, protect it from seismic activity, and maintain its precise shape by mitigating mirror sagging from gravity as the telescope moves. The system controls the combined seven primary mirrors to act as a single light-collecting surface, creating the optimal conditions for peak optical performance during scientific observations.

“This work is funded by a National Science Foundation award,” said Barbara Fischer, Primary Mirror Subsystem Manager for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “We began integrating the active support prototype system more than three years ago, and we first used a steel mirror mass simulator to demonstrate that our design was able to safely support and control the completed primary mirror segments. I am honored to work with an extraordinary team, and it is exciting to finally see a completed mirror segment integrated with the cell.”

As a key part of the integration process, Giant Magellan worked closely with Texas A&M University to clean, assemble, and test the support actuators that are being used in the cell. While the actual installation of the mirror into the cell took only one day, the process began with four weeks of disassembly to prepare the cell and support system for transport. The system was then moved 20 miles from the University of Arizona’s Tech Park to the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab for reassembly. This logistically complex operation occurred a few hours after midnight to minimize traffic disruptions, as the wide-load cell required two road lanes for transport.

“The Giant Magellan Telescope’s primary mirror active support system is the first of its kind,” said Trupti Ranka, Principal Opto-Mechanical Control Systems Engineer for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “The active support system contains an array of approximately 200 actuators and sensors to control the position and shape of the 17-metric tons, 8.4-meter mirror within a fraction of a micron. The control system allows a harmonious operation between the sensor data and actuators to achieve this precision.”

Now that one of the primary mirrors has been successfully integrated with the support system prototype, it will undergo rigorous testing under a metrology tower at the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab to confirm that the mirror can maintain its shape and performance under various operational conditions. Once testing is complete, the design for the production active support systems will undergo a final design review, and production will commence in 2027.

“This intricate system took years of designing, building, and testing by a team of specialized engineers and technicians,” said Tomas Krasuski, Principal Software and System Test Engineer for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “Every single component was thoroughly tested before integrating it into the system. Now that we’ve installed the mirror segment, we are excited to validate its performance. It has been a challenging yet rewarding process to get here.”

The milestone highlights the next stage of advancement for the Giant Magellan Telescope’s seven primary mirror segments and their support systems. Three of the primary mirror segments are complete, while the remaining four are in various stages of polishing. The seventh and final primary mirror was cast in October 2023 and is now being prepared for polishing. This latest milestone also follows the August 2024 start of the Giant Magellan’s 39-meter-tall telescope mount structure assembly at Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford, Illinois, which will support the seven primary mirrors and their cells, adaptive optics, and scientific instruments.

“For the first time, a completed primary mirror segment has been integrated into its support system — this is a giant step in our journey toward first light,” said William Burgett, Project Manager for the Giant Magellan Telescope. “Once its performance is validated, we will begin manufacturing all seven mirror cells at Ingersoll Machine Tools, which will be one of the most exciting advancements to date.”

The Giant Magellan Telescope is now 40% under construction across 36 states and on track to be operational in Chile by the early 2030s.

IMAGE: Completed 8.4-meter-diameter primary mirror being transported and integrated with a support system prototype at the University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab. Credit Damien Jemison, Giant Magellan Telescope – GMTO Corporation

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nuadox · 14 days ago

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Researchers leverage AI to unveil key insights into 2D halide perovskites for stable, efficient solar cells

- By Nuadox Crew -

Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have used computer simulations and machine learning to better understand how 2D halide perovskite materials function, paving the way for more efficient and stable solar cells.

These perovskites, seen as promising alternatives to traditional silicon in solar energy and optical applications, are cost-effective and efficient in absorbing and emitting light. However, their tendency to degrade quickly has been a challenge.

By simulating the atomic behavior of 2D perovskites under different conditions, the research team gained detailed insights into how the materials respond to heat, light, and other factors.

Their findings highlight the role of organic molecules in controlling atomic movements within the material layers, which affect the material's optical properties and stability.

Header image: The illustration depicts the 2D perovskite material studied by the researchers, with the yellow sections representing the linker molecules and the purple and pink areas indicating the perovskite layer. Credit: Julia Wiktor, Chalmers University of Technology.

Read more at Chalmers University of Technology

Scientific paper: Impact of Organic Spacers and Dimensionality on Templating of Halide Perovskites Erik Fransson, Julia Wiktor, and Paul Erhart ACS Energy Letters 2024 9 (8), 3947-3954 DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.4c01283