Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Lighthouse Astrophotography Puerto Rico

These night photographs were captured at Cabo San Juan Lighthouse in Fajardo, Puerto Rico — one of the most scenic historic lighthouses in the Caribbean. Perched above the Atlantic Ocean, the lighthouse provides a dramatic foreground for wide-field astrophotography, combining human history with the natural night sky.

Under dark coastal skies, I photographed the Milky Way region, the Andromeda Galaxy, and winter constellations such as Orion, using a Canon 60Da and a wide-angle lens. The constant ocean wind, salt air, and rotating lighthouse beam made these exposures both challenging and rewarding.


Cabo San Juan Lighthouse astrophotography at night in Fajardo Puerto Rico with stars and coastal sky
Cabo San Juan (Fajardo) Lighthouse Astrophotography
Canon 60Da,  Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, ISO 3200, f3.5, 30 sec

Andromeda Galaxy above Cabo San Juan Lighthouse in Puerto Rico captured with wide-angle astrophotography
Light House and Galactic Andromeda - Puerto Rico Astrophotography
Canon 60Da,  Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, ISO 6400, f4, 20 sec

Rotating lighthouse beam cutting across the night sky above Cabo San Juan Lighthouse in Puerto Rico during long-exposure astrophotography
LightHouse Night Sky Astrophotography Puerto Rico — rotating lighthouse beam visible cutting across the sky during long exposure
Canon 60Da,  Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, ISO 6400, f4, 30 sec

The bright diagonal streak visible across the sky is the rotating lighthouse beam, recorded during a long exposure. Unlike aircraft or satellites, the beam produces a broad, continuous band of light that sweeps across the stars as the lighthouse rotates. This effect is especially prominent in coastal astrophotography and cannot be avoided when working close to active navigation lights.


Orion constellation rising over Cabo San Juan Lighthouse Puerto Rico astrophotography
Orion Constellation over Lighthouse Puerto Rico Astrophotography Canon 60Da
Canon 60Da,  Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, ISO 3200, f5, 30 sec

All images were captured during the same Puerto Rico trip, exploring how different celestial targets — from nearby constellations to deep-sky objects like Andromeda — interact with a fixed terrestrial foreground. Lighthouses offer a unique astrophotography subject, symbolizing navigation and light beneath an ancient sky.

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