Green Airglow Through Thin Clouds – Swain, New York

Green airglow shining through thin atmospheric clouds in the night sky near Swain, New York on August 15, 2026. Canon EOS Ra, EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II at 16 mm, f/2.8, ISO 40000, 25 seconds.

On the night of August 15, 2026, near Swain in western New York, I was photographing the night sky with my Canon EOS Ra. The sky was dark enough that a noticeable green color from atmospheric airglow was visible across much of the photograph.

What caught my attention was not only the green sky, but also the thin atmospheric clouds crossing parts of the frame. Stars remain clearly visible through them, showing that these clouds were optically thin.

Most of the thin clouds lie outside the brightest part of the Milky Way and appear greenish against the strong green airglow background. Small portions that cross the Milky Way appear somewhat warmer or more reddish. The effect is subtle, but it raises an interesting question: why can thin clouds appear green at night?

Green Airglow High Above the Clouds

The green night airglow is produced mainly by atomic oxygen emitting at a wavelength of 557.7 nm. The strongest part of this emission comes from Earth's upper atmosphere at roughly 90–100 km altitude, far above ordinary weather and tropospheric clouds.

The atmospheric clouds in these photographs are much lower. Because they are thin enough for stars to remain clearly visible, a significant part of the green airglow coming from above and behind them can simply pass through the cloud layer.

The clouds can also scatter some of the surrounding light. However, scattering by cloud droplets and ice crystals is different from the Rayleigh scattering by molecules that makes the daytime sky blue. Cloud particles are much larger and their scattering is considerably less selective by wavelength, so a thin cloud can retain much of the color of the illumination and sky background around it.

Different from Light-Polluted Clouds

This appearance is very different from the clouds we commonly see near cities. Under a light-polluted sky, clouds can become white, yellow, or orange because they reflect artificial light coming upward from the ground. Thick clouds may become much brighter than the clear sky, while stars behind them disappear completely.

Here the situation is almost the opposite. The clouds are faint and transparent, stars remain visible through them, and much of the observed color appears to come from the natural night-sky background rather than from strong artificial illumination below.

There is another subtle detail in the main photograph. Where the background sky is dominated by green airglow, the transparent clouds appear greenish. Near some of the more reddish regions of the Milky Way, their color also seems to shift slightly toward warmer tones.

The Canon EOS Ra has enhanced sensitivity to red astronomical emission, particularly around the H-alpha wavelength at 656.3 nm, so reddish emission regions along the Milky Way can be recorded more strongly than with a standard digital camera.

Why This Effect Is Easy to Overlook

Greenish atmospheric clouds are not necessarily rare in night-sky photographs, but the effect is easy to overlook. In many astrophotographs the green color is simply described as airglow, while the clouds themselves are treated as an unrelated foreground or atmospheric feature.

The important distinction is that the clouds are not producing airglow. The green emission originates much higher in Earth's atmosphere, while ordinary weather clouds are far below it. When those clouds are optically thin, part of the green airglow remains visible through them, and the cloud-covered part of the sky can therefore appear greenish in the photograph.

This can easily be confused with several other effects: light pollution reflected from clouds, aurora, camera white-balance shifts, or simply aggressive color processing. The most useful clue is that stars remain visible through the clouds, showing that the cloud layer is transparent enough for the background sky emission to pass through.

For this reason, I think the effect is probably photographed more often than it is discussed. What makes this Swain observation especially useful is the combination of strong green airglow, a dark sky and thin atmospheric clouds, which makes the relationship between the airglow and the cloud color easier to see.

The Effect Was Visible Even in a 2.4-Second Exposure

A 2.4-second exposure showing green airglow and thin transparent atmospheric clouds with stars visible through them near Swain, New York on August 15, 2026.

Earlier that night, I took this 2.4-second exposure. Despite the very short exposure time, the green background and greenish transparent clouds are already visible, although the Milky Way and faint cloud structure are less detailed than in the 25-second photograph.

I find this short exposure especially interesting because it shows that the green airglow was strong enough to be recorded in only 2.4 seconds. The later 25-second exposure collected much more light and reveals the airglow, Milky Way and thin cloud structure in considerably greater detail.

A Similar Example from Colorado

A very interesting comparison was photographed by Aaron Watson of Skies-Alive Photography near Paonia, Colorado, on May 21, 2025. His photograph, Emerald Green Airglow with Orange Clouds, shows strong green airglow together with clearly visible atmospheric clouds.

The photograph is especially useful for comparison because the clouds near the horizon are orange from artificial skyglow, while the atmosphere behind and above them shows strong green airglow. It demonstrates that airglow can still be visible even when some light pollution is present near the horizon.

My Swain photographs show a different case. The atmospheric clouds are much thinner and more transparent, with stars clearly visible through them. Most of these clouds appear greenish where they are seen against the green airglow background, while small portions crossing the more reddish Milky Way show slightly warmer tones.

Together, the two observations show that the appearance of nighttime clouds depends not only on the clouds themselves, but also on the light coming from different directions. Artificial light from below can make clouds orange or yellow, while natural airglow high above them can create a green background that remains visible through sufficiently thin clouds.

Airglow Is Not Aurora

A green night sky can easily be mistaken for aurora in photographs, but airglow is a different phenomenon. Aurora is produced mainly when energetic charged particles interact with Earth's upper atmosphere and is strongly connected with geomagnetic activity. Airglow, on the other hand, is present even during quiet geomagnetic conditions and is continuously produced by chemical and physical processes in the upper atmosphere.

The intensity of airglow can vary considerably from night to night and across different parts of the sky. Atmospheric tides, gravity waves, changes in temperature and density, and changes in the distribution of atomic oxygen around the mesopause can all affect the brightness and structure of the green 557.7 nm emission.

This is an important reminder that a genuinely dark night sky is not necessarily black. Under good conditions, a camera can reveal green, reddish and other faint emissions produced by Earth's own atmosphere.

Photography Settings

Main photograph:
Camera: Canon EOS Ra
Lens: Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
Focal length: 16 mm
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 40000
Exposure: 25 seconds
Date: August 15, 2026
Location: Near Swain, New York

Short test photograph:
Camera: Canon EOS Ra
Lens: Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
Exposure: 2.4 seconds
Date: August 15, 2026
Location: Near Swain, New York

A Dark Sky Reveals Its Own Color

The area near Swain has a very good dark sky for New York State. According to the Light Pollution Map, this location is approximately between Bortle Classes 3 and 4. However, light-pollution maps should be considered an estimate rather than an exact measurement of what an observer will experience on a particular night. Actual sky quality also depends on atmospheric transparency, humidity, aerosols, nearby lights, the time of night and even the surrounding terrain.

Local geography can sometimes create a significantly darker pocket than a large-scale map might suggest. I experienced a good example at Sand Beach in Acadia National Park, Maine. The beach is only about 290 yards long, but the combination of a dark open-ocean horizon and surrounding mountains that shield light from populated areas creates an unusually dark observing location. Only a few miles away, where that terrain shielding disappears, light pollution becomes more noticeable.

One of my own practical indicators of an excellent astrophotography sky is visible airglow. In the original Bortle scale, readily apparent airglow is one of the characteristics of a Class 1 sky. A camera, however, is much more sensitive than the human eye and can record airglow under skies that would not visually qualify as Bortle Class 1.

The strong green airglow near the zenith in these Swain photographs can therefore have several explanations working together. The site was genuinely dark, photo at ISO 40000 was sensitive enough to reveal very faint atmospheric emission, and the green airglow itself may simply have been stronger than average that night because airglow intensity naturally changes with conditions in the upper atmosphere.

For me, this is one reason airglow is such an interesting practical indicator of sky quality. A light-pollution map provides a useful prediction, but the photograph records what the sky was actually doing at that location and at that moment. When natural green or reddish atmospheric emission becomes clearly visible instead of being overwhelmed by artificial skyglow, I know I am photographing under a genuinely good dark sky.

These photographs also show why atmospheric clouds at night do not always have to be white, gray or black. Under a dark sky, a thin transparent cloud can reveal some of the color of the natural sky behind it. On this night near Swain, that color was unmistakably green.

Related Astrophotography Posts

• Meteor over the Milky Way – Swain, New York
• Cloudy Starry Night Sky
• Why the Equatorial Sky Glows More Red — Tanzania & Galápagos Astrophotography Experience
• Acadia National Park, Maine USA – Astrophotography
• Airglow Astrophotography – Bryce Canyon National Park – Sunset Point
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Meteor over the Milky Way – Swain, New York

Cropped view showing a faint meteor crossing the Milky Way during a 308.6-second exposure near Swain, New York on August 15, 2026.

On the night of August 15, 2026, near Swain, New York, I was photographing the Milky Way with my Canon EOS Ra. During one long exposure, my wife and I saw a meteor cross the sky. It was not especially bright, but later I found what appears to be the same meteor recorded in the photograph.

I have watched Perseid meteors before, and even visually this one did not particularly look like a bright, typical Perseid to me. My first impression was that it could be a sporadic meteor. However, August 15 is still within the active period of the Perseid meteor shower, so I wanted to investigate whether it could have been a Perseid — and, perhaps even more importantly today, whether the streak could instead have been a satellite.

Meteor, Perseid or Satellite?

The meteor moved approximately from the upper-left toward the lower-right in the photograph. This is generally the correct direction for an object moving away from the Perseid radiant, which was located toward Perseus on the northeastern side of the sky.

The full photograph contains enough recognizable stars to check the orientation of the camera. The Milky Way crosses the frame, the Summer Triangle is prominent, and Beta Cassiopeiae (Caph) can also be identified toward the left side of the Milky Way.

When the meteor trail is extended backward across the sky, however, it does not line up perfectly with the expected Perseid radiant for August 15. Because this is a wide-angle photograph and the radiant is well outside the frame, simply extending a straight line on the image is only an approximation. Nevertheless, the difference is large enough that I would not confidently identify this meteor as a Perseid.

For now, my preferred interpretation is therefore simple: it is most likely a meteor, and probably a sporadic meteor rather than a Perseid.

Full-frame 16 mm view showing the Milky Way, Summer Triangle and a faint meteor near Swain, New York on August 15, 2026. Canon EOS Ra, 308.6 seconds, f/2.8, ISO 1600.

Could It Be a Satellite?

With a five-minute exposure, a satellite has to be considered. A satellite normally produces a long straight trail, and a satellite that slowly flares and fades can sometimes look surprisingly similar to a meteor in a single photograph.

I checked available catalogued satellite trajectories for the location and corrected exposure time. There were satellites in this general region of the sky, but I did not find a convincing illuminated satellite that followed the photographed trail at the correct time and in the correct direction. One geometrically interesting satellite candidate was already inside Earth's shadow and therefore should not have been visible by reflected sunlight.

This does not provide absolute proof — very faint satellites and some orbital debris can always make identification difficult — but together with the fact that two of us actually watched the meteor at the time of the exposure, a meteor is by far the more natural explanation.

Photography Settings

Camera: Canon EOS Ra
Lens: Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
Focal length: 16 mm
Aperture: f/2.8
ISO: 1600
Exposure: 308.6 seconds
Date: August 15, 2026
Location: Near Swain, New York

Finding the Exact Time

For checking satellites, the exact exposure time is important. I had photographed my computer clock during the same session and later discovered that the camera clock was approximately 8 minutes 1 second fast.

The meteor image has a camera timestamp of 11:39:19 PM. I also tested my Canon EOS Ra afterward and confirmed that the time stored with a photograph corresponds to the beginning of the exposure, not the end.

After correcting the camera clock, this exposure therefore began at approximately 11:31:18 PM EDT and continued for about 5 minutes 9 seconds, ending near 11:36:27 PM.

I later synchronized the Canon EOS Ra clock with my computer using Canon EOS Utility. This is a very useful setting for astrophotography, especially for meteors, eclipses, satellite identification, or any observation where the exact time matters. It is also important to check the camera's Daylight Saving Time setting; for New York in summer the DST setting should be enabled.

Meteor Photography in the Age of Satellites

There is also something a little frustrating about photographing meteors today. Twenty years ago, when a short unexpected streak appeared in an astrophotograph, a meteor was often the obvious first possibility. Satellites existed, of course, but there were far fewer of them crossing every part of the night sky.

Today the situation is very different. A long exposure can contain one or several satellite trails, and even a short fading streak has to be investigated before calling it a meteor. Sometimes it feels as if photographing a meteor is no longer only about being lucky enough to catch one — afterward you also have to prove that it was not a satellite.

In this case, fortunately, there was something the camera metadata and satellite catalog could not provide: my wife and I were standing under the sky and actually saw the meteor ourselves.

Dark Sky, Airglow and Dew

The area near Swain, in western New York near the Finger Lakes region, has a very good dark sky for New York State. According to the Light Pollution Map, this location is approximately between Bortle Classes 3 and 4. One of my own simple indicators of a genuinely dark sky is visible airglow. Under a dark enough sky, especially in long-exposure photographs, the background is often not black at all but can show green or sometimes reddish emission from Earth's upper atmosphere. The noticeable green airglow close to the zenith in this photograph was another indication of how dark and transparent the sky was that night.

There is also one practical challenge when photographing at night in this area: dew can become very strong. During a long astrophotography session the front lens element can gradually fog, even when the sky looks perfectly clear. An anti-dew heater around the lens is highly recommended for long exposures and overnight photography here.

Related Astrophotography Posts

• Watching the Sky, Observing Meteors, Making Wishes – Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania
• Meteor or Satellite? A Perseid Mystery Near the Andromeda Galaxy
• Perseid Meteor Shower: This Bright Meteor – August 11, 2013

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)

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.

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.

Related Tanzania Astrophotography

• Why the Equatorial Sky Glows More Red — Tanzania & Galápagos Astrophotography Experience
• Rainbow of the Milky Way and the Eternal Baobab — Tarangire, Tanzania

Drive Safely Between the Milky Way and the Haystack

This is an old photograph from my archive — one that I shared years ago on Flickr and Facebook, but somehow never published on my blog. Probably I was simply too busy at the time. Yet I always liked this image. It belongs to my small but meaningful series of philosophical, minimalistic astrophotography.

The photograph was taken in White Lake, Sullivan County, in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. It is a very simple, single exposure image — but sometimes simplicity tells the strongest story.

Canon EOS 60Da, EF16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
ISO 6400 · f/2.8 · 15 seconds

Drive Safely Between the Milky Way and the Haystack — Minimalist Nightscape, Catskills

With a 15-second exposure, the headlights of a passing car turn into a glowing light path. This streak of light creates an illusion of motion beyond normal driving — it looks like a jump drive, hyperdrive, warp jump, or even an interstellar teleporter.

In the foreground you can see the Haystack, partially blocking the light trail. That small interruption adds depth and makes the scene feel truly three-dimensional. Below it all, near the horizon, the bright central region of the Milky Way quietly glows.

Looking at this image, I can’t help but think: “Drive safely between the Milky Way and the Haystack.”

Sometimes I imagine this photograph as a road sign — something you might see near an observatory or astronomy club. A reminder that even an ordinary night drive can pass through something cosmic.

This image continues my series of minimalistic astrophotography ideas started years ago, including:

• Canon 60Da Milky Way Astrophotography — Catskill Mountains, New York
  Including the image “Now I know where the Milky Way comes from”
• Milky Way over Yellowstone National Park — Old Faithful Geyser
  A “missing” Yellowstone legend — one that connects Old Faithful, nature, and the Milky Way
• A Tree and the Milky Way
  Minimalist astrophotography and scale between Earth and galaxy
• Grand Teton Milky Way Astrophotography
  The “Fifth Element” — a philosophical composition of Earth, water, air, fire, and the Milky Way
• Unintentional Camera Movement Astrophotography
  Motion, light trails, and science-fiction associations

Interestingly, both this image and the photograph from Unintentional Camera Movement Astrophotography often remind me of science-fiction films — especially Back to the Future and Star Wars.

Sometimes astrophotography is not just about stars, but about motion, imagination, and the thin line between everyday reality and the universe beyond.

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)

Related Astrophotography Posts

• Rainbow of the Milky Way and the Eternal Baobab — Tarangire, Tanzania
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Rainbow of the Milky Way and the Eternal Baobab — Tarangire, Tanzania

On the midnight of September 26, 2025, under the deep African sky, I captured one of the most surreal moments of light and life. The photograph — a 21-image panorama taken with my Canon EOS Ra and Canon EF 200 mm f/2.8L II USM lens (f/3.2, ISO 25 600, 15 s exposure) — reveals the Milky Way arcing like a celestial rainbow above a solitary baobab tree in Tarangire National Park, Tanzania.

Rainbow of the Milky Way and the Eternal Baobab - Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

This is a single-night image, stitched in Photoshop, but it carries the weight of millennia — both cosmic and earthly.

The Baobab: The Tree of Life

At the center of the frame stands the baobab (Adansonia digitata), often called the Tree of Life. Native to the dry savannas of sub-Saharan Africa, this extraordinary species grows in scattered populations across Tanzania, Madagascar, and parts of the Sahel. Baobabs can live for over 2 000 years — some carbon-dated specimens have reached 2 500 to 3 000 years old — silently witnessing the passing of generations, civilizations, and climates.

Baobab

Their immense trunks, often more than 10 meters in diameter, are actually natural reservoirs; a single tree can hold up to 120 000 liters of water within its fibrous tissue. In the dry season, elephants and baboons are sometimes seen peeling their bark to reach the moisture inside.

In African folklore, the baobab is a sacred symbol — a meeting of heaven and earth. Its branches, reaching skyward like roots, gave rise to legends that the gods planted it upside-down. Standing beside one beneath the Milky Way, the resemblance to a cosmic silhouette feels almost intentional.

Tarangire: The Quiet Heart of the Savanna

Located just south of the equator in northern Tanzania, Tarangire National Park is a sanctuary of vast plains, ancient river valleys, and herds of elephants. Its skies are among the clearest and darkest in East Africa, especially during the dry season from June to October.

That night, around midnight, the air was perfectly still. The southern Milky Way rose high overhead, and the galactic core shimmered in a curtain of color rarely visible to the naked eye.

The Airglow

The subtle green, red, and orange tones in the photo are not from city lights — they are natural airglow, an atmospheric phenomenon that occurs when molecules in the upper atmosphere (about 85–100 km up) emit faint light after being energized by the Sun during the day.

Contrary to popular belief, strong airglow is not limited to the poles; it is often most intense near the equator, where the upper atmosphere experiences greater gravity-wave activity and chemical recombination. Near-equatorial latitudes like Tarangire (~4° S) often produce beautifully structured bands of red (from oxygen at ~250 km) and green (from oxygen at ~95 km) that shimmer across the night sky — invisible to human eyes but captured vividly in long-exposure astrophotography.

What you see above the baobab, therefore, is not light pollution but the Earth itself glowing, whispering its quiet luminescence into the darkness.

A Meeting of Earth and Sky

This image is a meeting of contrasts: an ancient tree rooted in the soil of Africa, and a galaxy 100 000 light-years across suspended above it. Between them, a living, breathing layer of atmosphere paints the bridge — the airglow, the breath of our planet.

Under the Milky Way: A Night in Tarangire

Every color in the image tells a story:

• Amber and red: oxygen recombining high above the equator.
• Soft green: the pulse of Earth’s upper atmosphere.
• Silver stars: the spiral arm of the Milky Way.
• Dark silhouette: a 1 000-year-old baobab tree watching the cosmos turn.

In that moment, Tarangire was not just a national park — it was a reminder that the planet itself participates in the night sky.

Technical Notes

• Camera: Canon EOS Ra (modified for astrophotography)
• Lens: Canon EF 200 mm f/2.8L II USM
• Settings: f/3.2 · 15 s · ISO 25 600
• Panorama: 21 frames combined in Adobe Photoshop
• Date: September 26, 2025
• Location: Tarangire National Park, Tanzania (~4° S latitude)

Reflection

When I look at this photograph, I see time itself — the timeless patience of the baobab and the ceaseless motion of the stars. Both are survivors: one through endurance, the other through orbit.

Under that rainbow Milky Way, I realized that the Earth doesn’t just reflect the universe — it participates in it. The light that touched the baobab that night had traveled for tens of thousands of years, only to meet the glow of our own atmosphere.

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The Milky Way Over the Sailing Stone: A Night Under the Stars at Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, California

Racetrack Playa is a place of natural intrigue. Situated in the heart of Death Valley, this dry, cracked lake bed is renowned for its "sailing stones" — large rocks that mysteriously move across the playa, leaving long tracks behind them. For decades, these stones puzzled scientists and visitors alike, as no one could quite figure out how these hefty rocks glided across the desert floor. It wasn’t until recently that a rare combination of ice, water, and wind was identified as the culprit behind their movement. 

The Milky Way Over the Sailing Stones of Death Valley, California

Panorama 27 photos, Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO-25600, 20 seconds each photo.

When night falls at Racetrack Playa, another marvel unfolds overhead. With its location in one of the darkest national parks in the U.S., the sky above Death Valley becomes a portal to the universe. The absence of light pollution allows for one of the most pristine views of the Milky Way, an ocean of stars arching across the sky, giving photographers an ideal canvas for astrophotography.

One interesting detail in this panorama is the orientation of both the sky and the sailing stones. Near the horizon you can recognize the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) in a low position, while the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor) is also visible, with Polaris (the North Star) marking the direction of true north.

At this low altitude, the familiar shape of the Big Dipper appears more flattened than usual. One of its stars, Phecda, is not clearly visible, but the remaining main stars are still recognizable, allowing the asterism to be identified.

Racetrack Playa is located at a latitude where the Big Dipper is circumpolar, meaning it can be seen throughout the entire year. As the night progresses, it slowly rotates around Polaris, changing its position while always remaining above the horizon.

The movement of the stones in the foreground adds another layer of interest. The main sailing stone in the center shows a trail roughly aligned with the north–south direction, appearing to move from the direction of Polaris toward the observer. However, a second stone on the right side of the frame reveals a different trajectory, with its path running almost perpendicular to the main stone’s trail.

This variation highlights the complex and delicate conditions behind the sailing stones phenomenon. Their motion depends on a rare combination of thin ice sheets, shallow water, and shifting wind, allowing different stones to move at different times and in different directions, creating a network of intersecting trails.

Together, the scene presents a striking contrast: the sky above follows predictable celestial motion around Polaris, while the desert floor records irregular and transient movement. It is a rare moment where celestial order and natural variability can be observed in a single frame.

A close-up panorama of a solitary sailing stone and its long trail beneath the Milky Way and the Dippers.

Standing in the silence of Racetrack Playa under the brilliant Milky Way, one feels both humbled and uplifted. The ancient stones, moved over time by forces unseen, seem like they are part of a larger cosmic ballet, just as the stars above trace their eternal paths through space. In that quiet desert night, there is a profound sense of stillness, yet the sky and stones speak of movement across millennia.

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Alaska Astrophotography - Cosmic Symphony

Alaska, the "Last Frontier", is renowned for its pristine wilderness, vast landscapes, and breathtaking night skies. In August, when the days are still long but the nights begin to reveal their celestial wonders, I embarked on a photographic journey. This photo was done about midnight during remarkable night in Alaska, where the Milky Way, the Big and Little Dipper, Cassiopeia, and the Andromeda Galaxy took center stage amidst the backdrop of a tranquil forest and towering mountains.

Alaska Astrophotography - Milky Way, Big and Little Dipper, Cassiopeia and Andromeda Galaxy

Under the captivating beauty of the Milky Way, with a glacier river  winding through the mountains and a mysterious boat on its shores, will forever remain etched in my memory. It is a testament to the awe-inspiring landscapes that Alaska offers to those willing to venture into its remote corners. The photograph serves as a reminder of the incredible beauty that can be found in nature and the magic that can unfold on a single night in this pristine wilderness.

Alaska Travel Night Landscape Astrophotography

The photograph stands as a visual symphony, combining Earth's terrestrial wonders with the infinite cosmos, creating a breathtaking portrayal of the universe's grandeur.

Alaska Astrophotography Milky Way Cygnus Lira Aquila Constellations

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8

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• Milky Way Casting Shadows - Chile Astrophotography - San Pedro de Atacama Celestial Explorations Star Tour
• The Milky Way Over the Sailing Stone: A Night Under the Stars at Racetrack Playa, Death Valley National Park, California

Rainbow Milky Way Joshua Tree National Park

This image represents a large-scale panoramic Milky Way photograph captured at Joshua Tree National Park.

The final image is a wide-field panorama composed of 40 individual exposures, stitched together to reveal the full Milky Way arch stretching across the desert sky. This post focuses on the panoramic process itself — showing the individual frames, the intermediate stitched result, and how the final image was formed.

Milky Way panorama: 40 images
Canon EOS Ra, EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
f/2.8 · ISO 25600 · 4.8 sec

Rainbow Milky Way Joshua Tree National Park

Below are examples of individual frames used to build the panorama. Each image captures only a small section of the sky, but together they form the complete Milky Way arch.

Single photo 1 for Panorama

Single photo 2 for Panorama

Single photo 3 for Panorama

Single photo 4 for Panorama

After capturing all frames, I used Photoshop → File → Automate → Photomerge to stitch the images into a single panorama.

Panorama after Automate Photomerge

At this stage, the Milky Way arch was complete, but the horizon appeared noticeably curved — a common effect of automated panorama stitching. The software prioritizes smooth blending between frames, often at the expense of geometric realism.

In the final step, I manually corrected and leveled the horizon in Photoshop using Select → All followed by Edit → Transform → Warp, while preserving the true curvature of the Milky Way. This transformation turned the temporary stitched image into the final panoramic photograph shown at the top of the post — closely matching how the scene appeared under the dark skies of Joshua Tree National Park.

Related Astrophotography Posts

Joshua Tree National Park

• Joshua Tree National Park Astrophotography
• Joshua Tree National Park Night Landscape
• Joshua Tree National Park Night Sky Festival 2022
• Sky’s The Limit Observatory — Joshua Tree

Rainbow Milky Way & Milky Way Panoramas

• Rainbow of the Milky Way
• Rainbow Milky Way — Chile
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Joshua Tree National Park Night Landscape

This post continues my Joshua Tree National Park astrophotography series, this time focusing on the desert night landscape itself — Joshua trees, rock formations, and the Milky Way rising above the California desert.

Joshua Tree is one of the best places in Southern California for night photography. The combination of dark desert skies, strange rock shapes, and the iconic silhouettes of Joshua trees creates a very special foreground for wide-angle Milky Way photos.

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO 25600, 3 sec, Panorama

Three Sisters and Milky Way Joshua Tree National Park

The park is located far from any major cities, which means that the night sky is incredibly dark and clear. On a clear night, visitors can see up to 15,000 stars, as well as the Milky Way and other celestial objects. The park even offers astronomy programs and events throughout the year.

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO 25600, 3 sec, Panorama

Milky Way Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, nature lovers, and photographers alike. One of the most unique and rewarding photography experiences in the park is astrophotography. With its clear skies and minimal light pollution, Joshua Tree is the perfect place to capture stunning images of the night sky.

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO 25600, 3 sec

Night Landscape Joshua Tree National Park

The night sky in Joshua Tree National Park is much darker than the sky near Los Angeles or other large Southern California cities. On a clear moonless night, the Milky Way becomes visible to the naked eye, and with a sensitive astronomy camera like the Canon EOS Ra, even short exposures can reveal a rich star field above the desert.

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO 25600, 3 sec

Night Sky Joshua Tree National Park

For these photos I used a wide-angle Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens. This type of lens is very useful for desert nightscape photography because it captures both the sky and the surrounding landscape in the same frame — the Milky Way above, and Joshua trees or rock formations below.

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO 25600, 3 sec, Panorama

Joshua Tree and Milky Way

The Joshua tree is a member of the Agave family and is a type of yucca plant. It has a distinctive, spiky appearance, with thick, twisting branches that reach upwards of 40 feet tall. The tree's trunk is usually short and thick, and it has green, sword-shaped leaves that grow in clusters at the ends of its branches.

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO 25600, 3 sec, Panorama

Sky and Earth Joshua Tree National Park

The Joshua tree is native to the Mojave Desert, which spans parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah. It is particularly well-adapted to the harsh desert environment, with long, deep roots that allow it to survive in dry, sandy soils. The tree can also tolerate extreme temperatures, from freezing winter nights to scorching summer days.

The Joshua tree is a unique and fascinating plant that is an important symbol of the Mojave Desert. Its distinctive appearance and cultural significance make it a beloved icon of the American West.

This was one of the most enjoyable parts of my Joshua Tree trip — not only photographing the Milky Way, but also using the desert landscape itself as part of the composition. The park is not just a dark-sky location; it is a place where the foreground and the sky work together beautifully.

Related Astrophotography Posts

• Rainbow Milky Way Joshua Tree National Park
• Joshua Tree National Park Astrophotography
• Joshua Tree National Park Night Sky Festival 2022
• Sky's The Limit Observatory

Joshua Tree National Park Astrophotography

These images were captured during my trip to Joshua Tree National Park, one of the most iconic dark-sky locations in the United States.

Joshua Tree National Park is an exceptional place for astrophotography and stargazing. Located in the high desert at elevations of roughly 3,000–6,000 feet above sea level, the park is far from major urban centers, resulting in very low levels of light pollution and excellent sky transparency.

The eastern side of the park offers the darkest skies, with minimal artificial glow. The nearest major city in that direction—Phoenix, Arizona—is nearly 300 miles away. In contrast, the south and western sections of the park are more affected by light pollution from Palm Springs and nearby desert communities.

Wide-field panoramas work especially well at Joshua Tree, where distinctive rock formations and desert vegetation create strong foreground elements beneath the Milky Way and airglow-rich skies.

Joshua Tree National Park Astrophotography

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO 25600, 3 sec, Panorama of 8 photos

There is entrance to the park at nigh:

Joshua Tree National Park Entrance at Night

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO 25600, 7 sec

Other entrance during the day:

Entrance to Joshua Tree National Park

Stargazing Area of Joshua Tree National Park

Sunset Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park at Night

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO 25600, 9 sec

Joshua Tree National Park Night Landscape

Canon EOS Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, f/2.8, ISO 25600, 25 sec

Related Joshua Tree & Desert Astrophotography

• Joshua Tree National Park Night Landscape
• Joshua Tree National Park Night Sky Festival 2022
• Rainbow Milky Way — Joshua Tree National Park
• Sky’s The Limit Observatory — Joshua Tree