Argentina Astrophotography – El Chaltén Night Sky

In 2024 I traveled to Argentina, and one of the most unforgettable experiences of the trip was a night hike near El Chaltén. The region is famous for its dramatic mountains, glaciers, and hiking trails—but it also offers incredibly dark skies. This part of Patagonia is far from large cities, giving you a truly pristine view of the southern hemisphere’s night sky.

This was my first time photographing the sky from Argentina, and I was immediately amazed at how different the stars looked compared to the northern hemisphere. The southern sky reveals Crux (the Southern Cross), the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, and the bright arc of the Milky Way rising over the mountain silhouettes. These are objects we cannot see at all from most of North America. Patagonia's exceptionally dark skies make these features stand out even more in long-exposure night photography.

Milky Way rising above the mountains of El Chaltén, Argentina. This 3-image panorama was captured during my night hike in Patagonia using the Canon EOS Ra. The southern sky was extremely dark, revealing the Milky Way arc, the Southern Cross, and faint Magellanic Clouds above the silhouette of the Andes.

Wide 4-image Milky Way panorama photographed near El Chaltén, Argentina. Taken with the Canon EOS Ra under pristine Patagonia skies, the image shows the Milky Way stretching across the horizon with beautiful detail in the galactic structure. Soft background glow from distant mountain huts adds depth to the landscape.

Equipment and Camera Settings

All images were taken with:

• Canon EOS Ra (mirrorless astrophotography camera)
• Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM wide-angle lens

Image Set 1:
Canon EOS Ra, EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM, f/2.8; ISO 12800, 5 sec exposure
Panorama of 3 images — captured on January 12, 2024 at 11 PM.

Image Set 2:
Canon EOS Ra, EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM, f/2.8; ISO 12800, 10 sec exposure
Panorama of 4 images — captured on January 13, 2024.

First Results of the Night Hike

These panoramas are the first results from my night hike. The mountains around El Chaltén create beautiful silhouettes, and in some shots you can see a faint background glow from distant mountain huts. Even with the glow, the sky remained extremely dark—perfect for capturing detail in the Milky Way.

The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) were easily visible to the naked eye. Seeing them for the first time is an unforgettable moment for any astrophotographer. They look like two small detached “clouds,” but they are actually dwarf galaxies orbiting our Milky Way.

A New Sky, A New Experience

Photographing the southern sky feels like discovering a different universe. The familiar northern constellations vanish, replaced with stars and structures I had never seen before. Crux, the Southern Cross, stands high above the horizon and serves as a perfect anchor for night panoramas.

Location: El Chaltén, Argentina • Patagonia
Year: 2024 Travel (images processed in 2025)

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What Happened to Meade & Orion? A Major Shift in the Telescope Industry

For decades, Meade Instruments and Orion Telescopes & Binoculars were two of the most familiar names in amateur astronomy. Many beginners bought their first telescope from these brands, and advanced users relied on products like the Meade LX200, Coronado solar telescopes, Orion Dobsonians, and countless accessories.

But between 2019 and 2024, both companies went through major financial and operational trouble. Today, they are no longer manufacturing new telescopes, and their remaining inventory has been liquidated to retailers.

The Decline of Meade Instruments

Meade filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in late 2019 after losing an antitrust lawsuit involving price fixing. Even after being acquired by Orion’s parent company, operations in California gradually shut down. By mid-2024, reports confirmed that Meade’s U.S. offices were closed and staff were laid off. The brand effectively stopped active production.

What Happened to Orion Telescopes?

Orion, founded in 1975, was primarily a U.S.-based retailer selling telescopes manufactured overseas. In 2024, after supply-chain issues and financial strain, their parent company also shut down its California offices. Orion’s website stopped working for long periods and warranty support became uncertain.

Impact on Astronomers and Telescope Owners

This situation has been disappointing for many hobbyists. These brands served:

• Beginners needing affordable starter telescopes
• Advanced users relying on Meade’s Schmidt-Cassegrain systems
• Solar observers using Coronado H-Alpha telescopes

With operations shut down, users now face questions about long-term support, spare parts, and warranty service.

Where to Find Remaining Inventory

One major retailer, High Point Scientific, has acquired a large portion of the remaining Meade, Coronado, and Orion inventory. This includes telescopes, mounts, and accessories.

If you are looking for new old stock — for example a Meade LX200, Coronado solar scope, or Orion accessories — they currently offer a clearance page:

High Point Scientific – Meade & Orion Clearance Inventory

Note: This link leads to a temporary sale page. The inventory is finite and support for these products may become limited in the future.

Should You Buy Remaining Meade or Orion Equipment?

It can be a good deal if:

• You want significant discounts
• You already own Meade/Orion gear and need spare parts
• You understand that warranty and long-term support may be limited

For long-term stability and ongoing product support, many astronomers now recommend brands such as Celestron, Sky-Watcher, Explore Scientific, and various U.S. boutique makers.

The Telescope Community Will Continue

Although the loss of Meade and Orion is a big change, the hobby of astronomy remains strong. New manufacturers, better optics, improved mounts, and advanced astrophotography tools continue to grow.

If you’re new to astronomy or considering upgrading your equipment, there are still many excellent options available — and retailers like High Point Scientific, OPT, and Agena AstroProducts can help guide you.

This situation is an important moment in telescope history, but not the end of amateur astronomy. The sky is still there — and better equipment than ever is available.

Why the Equatorial Sky Glows More Red — Tanzania & Galápagos Astrophotography Experience

          During my last trip to Tanzania, I spent several nights photographing the Milky Way under perfectly dark skies. What caught my attention almost immediately was something unexpected — on photos the sky looked unusually reddish.

Canon EOS Ra, Canon EF200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/3.2; ISO 12800, 15 sec. one photo, Panorama 21 images, combine in Photoshop, September 22, 2025, Nyikani Migration Camp, Tanzania.

       At first, I thought it was just a trick of the weather.

      But the reddish tone wasn’t just a one-night surprise — it appeared the second night, and again the third night, no matter where I set up my tripod.

Canon EOS Ra, Canon EF200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/3.2; ISO 20000, 20 sec. one photo, Panorama 21 images, combine in Photoshop, September 23, 2025, Signature Serengeti Camp, Tanzania.

Canon EOS Ra, Canon EF200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/3.2; ISO 25600, 15 sec. one photo, Panorama 21 images, combine in Photoshop, September 26, 2025, Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

      Later, I went back through some of my older photos taken a few years earlier in the Galápagos Islands, and there it was again — that same faint red glow in the sky background.

Canon EOS 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 16.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400, about 40 photos, combine in Photoshop, Feb 23, 2018, Puerto Villamil, Isabela Island, Galapagos, Ecuador.

    Four photos, two locations, years apart… and the same pattern. All were taken under dark, moonless skies far from city lights. The red glow wasn’t from pollution — it was coming from the atmosphere itself.

      So I started digging to find out why.

Why It’s Redder Near the Equator

      After reading through scientific papers and observing reports, I found that this red dominance near the equator isn’t a coincidence — it’s a well-known pattern.

      Near the magnetic equator, the upper atmosphere gets more direct sunlight and stronger ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. That creates more ionization and more energetic electrons high above Earth. When those electrons recombine with oxygen atoms at night, they emit bright red 630 nm light.

   

      Meanwhile, the lower green-emitting layer is denser and warmer in tropical regions. Collisions there often “quench” the green light before it can shine. So while both colors exist everywhere, the red layer wins near the equator — especially during periods of strong solar activity like the one we’re in now.

Toy model: Airglow “color” vs latitude (Green 557.7 nm / Red 630.0 nm)

A Simple Way to Imagine It

Think of it like two glowing shells around Earth:

• A lower green shell — thicker air, more collisions, so light is often quenched
• A higher red shell — thinner air, stronger ionization, shining freely into space.

At higher latitudes, the green layer shines more clearly. Near the equator, the red shell becomes brighter and overshadows it. My camera was basically looking through more of that red upper layer, capturing a stronger crimson glow.

The Beauty of Accidental Science

I didn’t set out to study airglow — I was just chasing the Milky Way. But sometimes astrophotography turns into a kind of quiet citizen science. My four “anecdotal” photos ended up showing a real global trend that scientists have been measuring for decades.

It’s a reminder that even casual night photographers can notice patterns that connect directly to planetary physics. Next time you shoot the night sky near the tropics, look closely when you process your images. If you see a faint red haze in the background, that’s not light pollution or a white-balance mistake — it’s Earth’s upper atmosphere glowing.

Final Thoughts

Standing under the African night with the Milky Way overhead and the warm breeze on my face, I realized that the sky’s color is not fixed. Even in darkness, our planet shines with its own quiet heartbeat — a breath of red light from hundreds of kilometers above.

The next time you photograph a dark sky, remember: sometimes your camera captures more than stars — it records the living atmosphere of the Earth itself.

Related Astrophotography Posts

• Rainbow of the Milky Way and the Eternal Baobab — Tarangire, Tanzania
• Milky Way over Galapagos Astrophotography
• Crux (Southern Cross), Milky Way and Palm Tree - Galapagos Night Sky Astrophotography
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