Astrophotography Blog: April 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.