Astrophotography Blog: 2026

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Camel on a Dune Under the Starry Sahara Sky – Merzouga, Morocco

This photo was taken at night in the Sahara Desert near Merzouga, Morocco. A camel and its keeper are standing on the top of a sand dune under a clear, star-filled sky. Above the camel and its keeper, both the Big Dipper and Little Dipper are visible in the Sahara sky.

Camel and keeper on top of a sand dune in the Sahara Desert at night under the Big Dipper and Little Dipper in Merzouga, Morocco

Camel on a Dune Under the Starry Sahara Sky – Merzouga, Morocco

One of the most interesting details in this image is the light. On the far side of the dune, much lower and outside the frame, there was a desert camp. The camp itself is not visible, but even this relatively weak light was enough to illuminate the camel and its keeper. That subtle light created an amazing silhouette and clearly separated them from the dark dune and the night sky.

This combination of desert landscape, human presence, and recognizable stars made the moment especially memorable. The camel and keeper standing on the crest of the dune give the scene a timeless feeling, while the starry sky above connects the quiet Sahara night with the wider universe.

This image was made as a panorama of 3 photos using a Canon EOS Ra camera with a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens at 16mm. Exposure settings were f/2.8, ISO 12800, 15 seconds. The photo was taken on April 7, 2026.

Finding Polaris in the Sahara Sky

This photo also shows a classic way to identify Polaris, the North Star. The two outer stars of the bowl of the Big Dipper, known as the pointer stars, can be used to find Polaris. If you follow the line from these stars outward, it leads to Polaris, which marks the end of the handle of the Little Dipper.

Even in a desert landscape far from city lights, this simple star pattern remains one of the easiest and most famous ways to navigate the night sky.

Annotated night sky over the Sahara Desert in Merzouga, Morocco, showing the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, and Polaris above a camel and keeper on a dune

Annotated Sahara night sky showing the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, and Polaris above a camel and its keeper on a dune in Merzouga, Morocco.

Monday, January 26, 2026

Tanzania Cloudy Astrophotography

These are several astrophotography images from Tanzania that did not make it into my earlier post featuring the Rainbow Milky Way. That previous post focused on rare color and clarity, while these images were captured during a much cloudier night.

Although clouds often end an astrophotography session, in this case they added atmosphere and depth to the scene. With no Moon in the sky, the clouds appear as dark silhouettes against the star field and the Milky Way, creating a very different mood compared to clear-sky images.

All photos were taken at Nyikani Migration Camp, Tanzania on September 21.

Camera: Canon EOS Ra
Lens: Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
Exposure: f/3.2 · ISO 6400 · 15 sec
Technique: Panorama (4 images)

Milky Way under two safari tents at Nyikani Migration Camp during a cloudy, moonless night in Tanzania

Two safari tents frame the central part of the Milky Way. With no Moon present, clouds appear as dark shapes cutting through the star field.

In the first image, two safari tents are visible in the foreground, with the central part of the Milky Way positioned under them. The sky was completely moonless, allowing the clouds to show up as dark structures against the stars rather than reflecting light.

Milky Way rising above a safari tent with trees and clouds at Nyikani Migration Camp, Tanzania

A single safari tent under the Milky Way, surrounded by trees and passing clouds.

In the second image, the Milky Way rises directly above a safari tent, with a green tree visible in the foreground. Both images were taken as close to the camp as possible, keeping the scene simple and grounded in the immediate surroundings.

These photographs are much simpler than the Rainbow Milky Way panorama, but they document another side of night photography in Tanzania — where clouds, darkness, and proximity to the landscape all play a role in shaping the final image.