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