Astrophotography Blog: October 2016

Monday, October 24, 2016

iOptron Skytracker and Deep Sky Astrophotography

“By looking far out into space

we are also looking far back into time,

back toward the horizon of the universe,

back toward the epoch of the Big Bang.”

― Carl Sagan, Cosmos

The deep sky astrophotography can be done without telescope. You just need iOptron Skytracker. There are some photos which were done using iOptron Skytracker. Some of these photos done even in New York city with very high level of light pollution.

iOptron SkyTracker Canon 60Da Deep Sky Astrophotography Orion Nebula M42 New York City

Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens; f/2.8; ISO 320; Exposure 15sec x 204 - Total 51 min, Brooklyn NY

iOptron Skytracker Deep Sky Astrophotography without Telescope - Horsehead and Flame Nebulae - New York City

Canon 60Da with Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens and iOptron SkyTracker tripod.Exposure 10sec x 148 - about 25 min total. ISO-800, f/3.2

iOptron Skytracker Deep Sky Astrophotography Pleiades M45 Seven Sisters Melotte 22 with Canon EF 200mm Telephoto Lens

Canon 60Da, iOptron skytracker, EF200mm f/2.8L II USM, f/4.0; ISO 6400, Deep Sky Stacker 30 images x 20 sec, Upstate New York

Deep Sky Astrophotography iOptron Skytracker Andromeda Galaxy Messier 31 Canon EF 200mm Telescopic Lens

Andromeda Galaxy Messier 31 Deep Sky Astrophotography iOptron Skytracker

Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM lens, iOptron SkyTracker trypod, ISO-6400, f/4, stacked in DeepSkyStacker 215 images x 19 sec, Upstate NY

iOptron Skytracker Deep Sky Astrophotography Northern America and Pelican Nebula

Canon 60Da, EF200mm f/2.8L II USM, f/4.0; ISO 6400, Deep Sky Stacker 29 images x 20 sec, New York upstate

iOptron Skytracker Deep Sky Astrophotography Milky Way and Orion at Culebra Island

Canon 60Da, Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens, F/4.0, ISO 3200, 2 min, Culebra Island, Puerto Rico

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Arches National Park Astrophotography

I continue my astrophotography travels to compare how the night sky appears from different places around the world. The constellations are the same everywhere, yet the sky always looks different depending on latitude, landscape, and atmosphere. These images were captured during my trip to Arches National Park in Utah.

Arches National Park is home to more than 2,000 natural stone arches, along with countless surreal rock formations. Even during the day, the landscape feels almost unreal — but at night it becomes truly extraordinary. Under dark, moonless skies, Arches reveals vivid airglow, subtle star colors, and an astonishingly rich Milky Way. Green, red, and faint spectral hues paint the sky, creating dramatic and colorful night landscapes that feel almost otherworldly.

With its minimal light pollution, unique foregrounds, and clear desert air, Arches National Park ranks among the best locations in the world for astrophotography and night landscape photography.

Camera: Canon EOS 60Da
Lens: Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
Exposure: 20 s · f/3.5 · ISO 6400
Technique: Panorama of 40 images

Arching Milky Way panorama above sandstone formations in Arches National Park, Utah under dark desert skies

Arching Milky Way - Arches Astrophotography

Sailing the Milky Way.
We are all traveling together on a small spaceship called Earth, sailing through the Milky Way across space and time. This photograph is a visual metaphor for that idea — our planet moving silently beneath a rotating galaxy.

Canon EOS 60Da · EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM · 25 s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400 · Panorama (5 images)

Milky Way appearing to sail above Park Avenue rock formations in Arches National Park at night

Sail Milky Way over Park Avenue at Arches National Park Astrophotography

Stairway to Heaven.
The rising rock formations feel like steps leading upward, not through space, but through time. As the Milky Way arches overhead, the Earth quietly turns beneath our feet, carrying us higher along this cosmic staircase. This image is a reminder that even while standing still, we are always moving — upward, forward, and deeper into the universe.

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400

Stairway to Heaven rock formation illuminated beneath the Milky Way in Arches National Park

Stairway to Heaven Arches - National Park Astrophotography Night landscape

Balanced Rock.
Balanced Rock is one of the most iconic landmarks of Arches National Park and a striking example of erosion at work. It is hard to understand how such a massive stone remains standing in perfect balance. Even in daylight it feels unreal — but at night, beneath the Milky Way, it becomes truly extraordinary.

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400

Balanced Rock silhouetted beneath the Milky Way in Arches National Park under dark night skies

Balanced Rock and Milky Way - Arches Astrophotography

Airglow Silhouette.
Balanced Rock appears as a pure silhouette, a dark stencil cut against the glowing night sky. Green-yellow airglow fills the background, while thin dark clouds add another layer of contrast. The result is a natural blend of night landscape and cosmic stencil art.

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400

Balanced Rock in silhouette against green and yellow airglow with thin clouds over Arches National Park

Airglow and Balanced Rock - Arches NP Astrophotography

And finally there are photos of arches.

Turret Arch and the Milky Way.
Turret Arch frames the glowing core of the Milky Way, creating a shape that almost feels like a cosmic “smoking gun.” I think on this picture we see evidence of ... Big Bang :) The illusion is playful, not literal — a reminder of how natural forms and deep space can echo one another. Moments like this are what make night landscape astrophotography both thoughtful and fun.

Canon EOS 60Da · EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM · 30 s · f/2.8 · ISO 6400 · Panorama (5 images)

Turret Arch framing the Milky Way in Arches National Park under a clear desert night sky

Turret Arch and Milky Way - Arches National Park Astrophotography

Windows Arches to the Starry Sky.
The North and South Window Arches frame the starry sky like natural windows. While the rock remains fixed and ancient, the stars continue their slow motion across the night. This contrast gives the scene both stillness and movement.

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400 - Panorama 5 images

North and South Window Arches under the starry sky in Arches National Park at night

North and South Windows Arches and Starry Sky - Arches National Park Astrophotography

Double Arch and the Milky Way.
The Milky Way rises above Double Arch, one of the most recognizable formations in Arches National Park. While the sandstone arches remain fixed and ancient, the star-filled sky continues its slow motion overhead. The image brings together geological time and cosmic time in a single night landscape.

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400

Milky Way rising above Double Arch in Arches National Park beneath a dark desert sky

Double Arch and Milky Way - Arches National Park Night Landscape Astrophotography

Arch over Arches.
A panoramic view turns the Milky Way itself into a luminous arch, stretching across the sky above Double Arch. Stone arches shaped by erosion and a cosmic arch shaped by perspective mirror one another in a single frame. It is a quiet alignment of geology and galaxy — an arch over arches.

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400 - panorama of two photos

Curving Milky Way forming a cosmic arch above Double Arch in Arches National Park panorama

Rainbow Milky Way over Double Arch Panorama Astrophotography

Related Night Landscape & Milky Way Astrophotography

Monday, October 17, 2016

Balanced Rock Arches National Park Utah Night Landscape Astrophotography

Balanced Rock is one of the most famous examples of natural erosion in Arches National Park. Even in daylight it looks unbelievable — a massive boulder balancing on a narrow pedestal of rock. But at night, under the Milky Way, it becomes absolutely magical.

These photos were taken during my trip to Arches National Park. The combination of Balanced Rock, the bright summer Milky Way, dramatic clouds, and natural airglow created a truly unforgettable nightscape.

Canon 60Da • EF16–35mm f/2.8L II USM • 25 sec • f/2.8 • ISO 6400

Balanced Rock under the Milky Way at Arches National Park — night landscape astrophotography with Canon 60Da

Balanced Rock and Milky Way Arches National Park Utah Night Landscape Astrophotography

Balanced Rock, the Milky Way, and the “drama” of clouds moving across the sky all come together in this first image. I added a small amount of light to the Rock itself, allowing its details to be visible without overwhelming the natural night sky.

What makes this scene even more special is the presence of airglow — faint natural light produced by Earth’s upper atmosphere. A moonless night sky is dark, but not black; it shines in subtle green, red, yellow, and orange tones created by atmospheric atoms and molecules.

This is one of the many reasons Arches National Park is one of the best places on Earth for nightscape astrophotography.

Canon 60Da • EF16–35mm f/2.8L II USM • 25 sec • f/2.8 • ISO 6400

Balanced Rock silhouette with bright airglow — Arches National Park night sky photography

Airglow and Balanced Rock - Arches National Park Utah Night Landscape Astrophotography

This second photo is a silhouette of Balanced Rock illuminated only by natural sky light — no artificial lighting at all. Here the airglow is even stronger, painting the horizon with soft green and yellow tones. The dark clouds appear almost black because there is no light pollution and no moonlight — the images were taken during new moon, one of my favorite astrophotography techniques.

Balanced Rock already looks surreal in daylight, but at night — combined with the Milky Way, airglow, dark clouds, and the silent desert around it — it becomes a truly fantastic natural sculpture.

Different types of the Milky Way Night Landscape - Stair Sail and Arch

Let me introduce a new (and completely humorous!) classification of the Milky Way. No, I am not serious — there is only one Milky Way galaxy — but give me a chance! Just look at the collage below: three very different shapes of the galactic core captured in a single night.

I call them the Stair, the Sail, and the Arch Milky Way. All three photos were taken in the same location — Park Avenue, Arches National Park — during the same night. Only small changes in viewpoint and composition, yet the Milky Way looks completely different!

This is part of my light-hearted series Astronomical Jokes, where I play with perspective and imagination. People love to classify everything they see, and sometimes those classifications become fun in themselves.

As the astronomer Olin Eggen playfully said:
“Classification is a tool for understanding — and occasionally for amusement.”
And the statistician George Box famously reminded us:
“All models are wrong, but some are useful.”
My “Milky Way types” are definitely wrong — but they are useful for a smile.

Collage of humorous Milky Way classifications — Stair, Sail, and Arch — photographed at Park Avenue, Arches National Park.

Different types of the Milky Way Night Landscape Astrophotography - Stair Sail and Arch

This collage shows how dramatically the Milky Way’s appearance changes depending on camera angle, foreground, and the rising position of the galactic core. Even though the galaxy is constant, our perspective makes it look like different “types.”

I hope this light-hearted classification brings a smile — and perhaps inspires you to try your own creative Milky Way “types” on the next clear night!

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Arching Milky Way over Arches National Park Utah Astrophotography

Arches National Park is a true paradise for landscape astrophotography. The combination of towering red-rock formations, dramatic canyons, and some of the darkest skies in the continental United States creates endless opportunities for unique night-sky compositions. Every viewpoint in the park feels different, and each photograph becomes a blend of geology, astronomy, and adventure.

Among the many locations inside Arches, Park Avenue stands out as one of the most dramatic natural corridors in the Southwest. Its massive sandstone walls rise like ancient monuments, making it a perfect frame for the sweeping arc of the Milky Way.

The Milky Way Over Park Avenue

The towering sandstone walls rise like a mountain in the center of the frame, creating a dramatic canyon passage. Above them, the rainbow-colored arc of the Milky Way stretches gracefully across the sky, with soft reds, greens, and blues blending together. A gentle background glow illuminates the tops of the rock formations, adding depth and highlighting the rugged desert texture without overpowering the night sky.

Arching Milky Way over Park Avenue, Arches National Park – Utah Astrophotography

Arching Milky Way over Park Avenue at Arches National Park - Utah Astrophotography

How This Panorama Was Created

This final image is a 40-shot panorama. Each individual frame was captured using:

Camera: Canon 60Da
Lens: Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
Exposure: 20 seconds
Aperture: f/3.5
ISO: 6400

The entire sequence took approximately one hour to shoot from start to finish. Afterward, all 40 frames were stitched together in Adobe Photoshop to create the seamless, wide-field view of the Milky Way arching above the canyon walls.

Clear nights in Arches National Park are unforgettable, and capturing the Milky Way above these towering red-rock cliffs remains one of my favorite astrophotography experiences.