Astrophotography from Brooklyn, New York City. I capture the Moon, planets, Sun, Milky Way, and night sky from NYC and during travel. Passionate about astronomy, nightscape, and starscape photography. Using Celestron NexStar 4SE, Coronado SolarMax II 60, Canon EOS Ra, 60Da, 40D, NexImage, and Canon EF lenses to reveal the beauty of the universe.
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Showing posts with label light pollution. Show all posts
Showing posts with label light pollution. Show all posts
These are a few of my Los Angeles astrophotography and night skyline photos from a trip to California.
Even in a city filled with light pollution, the view from Griffith Observatory remains one of the most iconic places to photograph Los Angeles after sunset.
Ironically, the observatory closes at night, so I did not have much time for photography.
Still, the location offered beautiful panoramic views of the city, the glowing skyline, and the famous observatory itself against the evening sky.
Los Angeles Astrophotography night view from the Griffith Observatory California
Los Angels city skyline at night Griffith Observatory Astrophotography
Griffith Observatory at night, Los Angeles, CA
Night City Light pollution Hollywood
Los Angeles may not be the easiest place for traditional astrophotography, but it is still a fascinating city for photographing the night.
The combination of urban light, famous landmarks, and the astronomy history of Griffith Observatory gives these images a special atmosphere.
The moon and the stars no longer come to the farm. The
farmer has exchanged his birthright in them for the wattage of his
all-night sun. His children will never know the blessed dark of night.
— Leslie Peltier in his autobiography
Urban night skies are rarely dark. Streetlights, billboards, and city glow create a thick orange haze that hides the stars and washes out the beauty of the night sky. Yet even from light-polluted locations, it’s possible to recover the natural tones of the night sky — with the right technique and patience.
Golden Bridge, Los Angeles – Before and After
Even in one of the brightest cities on Earth, the hidden beauty of the night sky can still be revealed. This composite image of the Golden Bridge in Los Angeles shows two worlds in one frame — the left half captures the harsh glow of urban light pollution, while the right half reveals what the same scene looks like after careful digital correction.
Light pollution Astrophotography Urban Astronomy
The difference is striking. On the left, the orange sky glow typical of large cities drowns out all but the brightest stars. On the right, subtle gradient removal and color correction bring back the natural depth of the night sky. No Milky Way is visible here — just the quiet, real sky above Los Angeles as it would appear without the interference of artificial light.
Photoshop Processing Steps for Light Pollution Removal
The following steps describe exactly how I processed the Golden Bridge image to reduce light pollution and restore the natural night sky appearance. This simple method can be repeated for other urban nightscapes.
Step1: Select the Layers panel and then duplicate the layer
In this photo, the digital cleanup was done using gradient-removal layers in Photoshop and subtle color balance adjustments. The goal wasn’t to create an unrealistic night sky, but to recover the true dynamic range that excessive lighting had hidden. The restored image shows a faint trace of the starry night rising over the bridge — a reminder that the night is never completely lost to light.
Note, that Astronomy Tools has more sophisticated methods to remove light pollution, or you can do some variations of such methods (it depends from size of you original image). You also can apply it only for part of original image.
Light pollution occurs when artificial lights scatter in the atmosphere and overpower natural celestial light. Sodium and LED streetlights create broad orange or blue glows that spread for tens of kilometers, reducing contrast in photos and drowning out faint stars. For astrophotographers, it’s the biggest obstacle between the camera and the universe.
Preserving the Night Sky
As urban areas expand, the number of places with truly dark skies continues to shrink. Each successful image that recovers the stars from behind the glow is not just an artistic act — it’s also a message about preservation. Protecting our night environment helps both wildlife and human curiosity. After all, the sky is our oldest map of time.
Final Thoughts
Removing light pollution is part art, part science, and part patience. Whether working from a city balcony or a remote desert, every photographer can uncover the universe hidden behind the glow. The Golden Bridge image proves that even in the heart of Los Angeles, the stars are still there — waiting to be revealed.
From his wife, it drew nothing but torrents of tears.
"For you see," said Ms. Halley,
"He used to come daily;
Now he comes once every 70 years!"
--Astronomy Jokes
In October 2010, the bright green comet 103P/Hartley 2 passed relatively close to Earth, offering a rare opportunity for urban astrophotography.
This series was captured from Brooklyn, New York City — under heavy light pollution — using a piggyback DSLR setup mounted on a Celestron NexStar 4SE.
Despite the challenges of NYC skies, stacking multiple exposures revealed the comet’s distinct green coma, caused by glowing diatomic carbon (C₂) molecules in its atmosphere.
Image 1: Stacked result showing the comet within the surrounding star field.
Image 2: Closer crop revealing the bright coma.
Image 3: Maximum zoom view highlighting the comet nucleus region and surrounding glow.
Comet Hartley 2, Celestron 4SE Canon 40D Brooklyn
Capture Details
Object: Comet 103P/Hartley 2 (The Green Comet) Date: October 12, 2010 Location: Brooklyn, NYC Camera: Canon 40D Mount: Piggybacked on Celestron NexStar 4SE Lens: Canon EF 28–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS USM Focal Length: 28mm Exposure: 27 × 60 seconds ISO: 1250 White Balance: Daylight Total Integration Time: 27 minutes
The following images were taken during daytime and show the full piggyback configuration used for capturing Comet 103P/Hartley 2 from Brooklyn.
The Canon 40D DSLR was mounted on top of the Celestron NexStar 4SE telescope using a dedicated piggyback bracket (Item #BRKTPIG4).
This configuration allows the telescope mount to track the sky while the DSLR captures wide-field images.
PiggyBack Camera Mount for Celestron NexStar 4SE (Item# BRKTPIG4), Comet Photo Setup, Brooklyn NYC Astrophotography
NYC Astrophotography, Celestron 4SE
Celestron 4SE and Canon 40D - NYC Astrophotography
Urban Comet Imaging – A Challenge Worth Taking
Capturing a comet from New York City is always a technical challenge.
High skyglow, limited visibility, and atmospheric haze make faint objects difficult to detect.
However, with careful stacking and processing, even a suburban or urban observer can document transient celestial visitors.
Comet 103P/Hartley 2 was especially memorable because it was visited by NASA’s EPOXI spacecraft during its 2010 flyby — making backyard imaging even more exciting.
Comets Over New York City – 14 Years Apart
Urban comet imaging has always been one of the most challenging and rewarding forms of astrophotography.
Fourteen years after capturing Comet 103P/Hartley 2 from Brooklyn, I photographed another bright visitor over New York City —
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) visible in NYC
.
The contrast between these two comet encounters is striking.
In 2010, Comet 103P/Hartley 2 was faint and not visible to the naked eye from New York City.
Its position had to be calculated using ephemerides, and a wide-field piggyback setup was required to locate and capture it through stacked exposures.
By comparison, Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) was significantly brighter and easily visible without optical aid.
Using a more modern Canon EOS Ra, a much simpler imaging approach was possible — sometimes the sky itself provides the spectacle without the need for complex techniques.
Together, these two comets illustrate different faces of urban comet photography:
one a technical challenge requiring precision and persistence, the other a rare and unforgettable naked-eye visitor over the New York skyline.
