Sunday, November 23, 2025

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 Astrophotography panorama over El Chaltén, Argentina, captured with Canon EOS Ra from Patagonia’s dark sky.

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 Milky Way panorama above the mountains of El Chaltén, Argentina, photographed with Canon EOS Ra.

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)