Acadia National Park, Maine USA - Astrophotography

Acadia National Park is one of the darkest place on the East Coast. It is amazing how good sky is here - amazing airglow and shadow from Milky Way. I not even expected something like this on the East Coast of US.

Acadia Astrophotography - Panorama of 4 Images Milky Way over Sand Beach

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec;  f/2.8;  ISO 6400 - Four photos, Panorama

Acadia Astrophptography  Milky Way Night Landscape

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec;  f/2.8;  ISO 12800 - One photo

Black and White Acadia Astrophotography

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec;  f/2.8;  ISO 12800 - One photo

Night Landscape Canon Astrophotography Panorama Milky Way Acadia National Park Maine USA

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec;  f/2.8;  ISO 6400 - 6 photos

Chasing the Milky Way - Acadia National Park

Rainbow Milky Way - Maine Astrophotography, Acadia National Park

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 25.0 sec;  f/2.8;  ISO 6400 - Panorama of 20 photos


I derived with my family and friends from New York to Acadia National Park about 10 hours. There was new moon and weather forecast for this night was good.  It was chance to get good dark sky.

While Mount Desert Island is not heavily populated and is remote, but some light pollution exists. So, some places in Acadia National Park are just with good dark sky. But some places are having amazing sky! Sand Beach, while just a 290-yard-long beach inlet between granite mountains, has a spectacular view of the night sky. On the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale, this place has “Class 1” (out of 9) is absolutely, naturally dark — the darkest skies on earth! Such darkness sky in the Sand Beach can be attributed to two factors: location and park lighting. Newport cove protects the beach from most of the sky glow from major population centers on the island. The beach faces out to the dark open ocean. The surrounding topography blocks the line of sight from Bar Harbor preventing residual sky glow. Park lighting were design to minimized light pollution.

The Sand Beach was good choice.  The Galactic center region of the Milky Way casts obvious diffuse shadows on the ground. Airglow is readily apparent. The presence of Jupiter in the sky seems to degrade dark adaptation. Its big contrast between New York sky and Acadia National Park.

Arching Milky Way over Arches National Park Utah Astrophotography

Arches National Park is paradise for landscaping astrophotography. Every photo is unique in the park. A lot of absolutely unique landscapes and amazing dark sky. All these doing Arches national park is one of the best place for astroscape photography.

Arching Milky Way over Park Avenue at Arches National Park - Utah Astrophotography.

Arching Milky Way over Park Avenue at Arches National Park - Utah Astrophotography

This is panorama of 40 images. One image settings: Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 20.0 sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400. It took about one hour to made all these images. All these images were stitch in Photoshop.

Utah Astrophotography and Astronomy - Bryce Canyon National Park - Milky Way

The entrance sign to Bryce Canyon National park has amazing location – especially under the Milky Way with green Airglow night sky. 

Utah Astrophotography and Astronomy - Bryce Canyon National Park - Milky Way

 Canon 60Da, Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, ISO-6400, F3.5; 30 sec

This photo got first place in AstronomyForum.net 3rd quarter 2015 competition in Nightscape Category

Astronomy Forum Winner 3rd Quarter 2015 Nightscape Category

 

Grand Teton Astrophotography Wyoming National Park

Philosophy is written in that great book which
ever lies before our eyes — I mean the universe
— but we cannot understand it if we do not first
learn the language and grasp the symbols,
in which it is written.
--Galileo Galilei

Milky way over Grand Teton National park. There is combination of three photos.

Grand Teton Astrophotography  Wyoming National Park Canon 60Da

Canon 60Da; Lens EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM; Exposure 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 4000

Two interesting effect are visible on this photo. If sky stars don't have big trails, reflections of stars have pretty much visible "star roads". Actually every star reflection has its own "star path" like Moon reflection has moonpath. When stars more close to horizon than "star path" of reflection is longer. Reflection stars near horizon also looks brighter because of near horizon light from starts more parallel to water surface and has bigger reflectivity. 

Grand Teton Milky Way Astrophotography

Reflections of Stars, Milky Way and green Airglow - Gran Teton National park - Colter Bay Wyoming  September 25, 2014.

Grand Teton Milky Way Astrophotography Lake Reflection Canon 60Da

Camera Canon 60Da; Lens EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM; Exposure 16.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 4000

The night sky at Grand Teton national park is amazing! On photo you can see reflection of stars and even reflection of Milky Way! Milky Way is really very bright in the Grand Teton. Also you can see green airglow near horizon (which visible only in clear sky) and even reflection of the airglow. The green color is natural for clear sky without light pollution. 

Milky Way Grand Teton

Camera Canon 60Da; Lens EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM; Exposure 16.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 4000

Yellowstone Astrophotography

There are astrophotos from my trip to Yellowstone national park. During this time weather was not good, totally cloudy and most of the time it was raining. Just last night for couple of hours sky all the sudden was clear and I was happy and get chance to made couples of photos. In the morning was rain again. So I really was lucky to made Yellowstone astrophotography. The sky in Yellowstone is amazing. It is really one of the darkness place which I saw. All photos were done by Canon 60Da camera with Canon Lens EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM Ultra Wide. 

Yellowstone Astrophotography Old Faithful Geyser at night Canon 60Da   Canon Lens EF 16-35mm f2.8L II USM Ultra Wide

 Exposure time 30 sec; f/2.8; ISO 4000

Yellowstone Starry Sky Night Landscape Photography - Panorama Night-scape Astrophotography

Panorama of two images - Exposure time 30 sec; f/2.8; ISO 4000

 Other photos will add soon click Yellowstone.