Orion (constellation) Astrophotography

His head is made of stars, but not yet arranged into constellations. 

-- Elias Canetti

One of the most recognizable constellations in the sky is Orion. There is my collection of Orion astrophotography from different counties. 

Orion Constellation Astrophotography Israel

Orion Constellation Astrophotography Culebra Island Puerto Rico

Orion Constellation and Northern Light Island Astrophotography

Orion Nebula M42 Urban NYC Astrophotography

Orion Constellation Astrophotography

Constellation Orion Israel Astrophotography from Kfar Szold Kibbutz

Constellation Orion Astrophotography Puerto Rico

Green Sky Utah Airglow Astrophotography Canon 60Da

The sky is green, the night is dark - as simple as possible. This photo was done at Bryce Canyon, Utah. Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400

Green Sky Utah Airglow Astrophotography Canon 60Da

The natural moonless night sky is dark but not black; it is not even blue (no scattering light from sun and moon). Earth atmosphere  emits green, red, orange, yellow light- Airglow!

About 60% of the natural brightness of the night sky at zenith is made up of Airglow. Maximum brightest usually appears at about 10-15 degrees above the horizon, because of the greater the depth of atmosphere at this angle. Airglow is not always uniform. Gravity waves may create considerable variation of Airglow brightness.

You can see Airglow only in real dark sky, but naked eye could not recognize colors. Photos with long exposure able get the colors of Airglow.

The usually dominant color of airglow is green originated from molecular oxygen at 90 to 100 km high. Orange and reddish hue caused by atomic oxygen in 150-300 km above the ground, Yellow light comes from sodium atoms in a layer at about 90 km.

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Constellation Wide Field Astrophotography

There is my small collection of the Big Dipper photos. The photos were done from different places on the Earth, so even it is the same constellation it looks different.

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Yellowstone Astrophotography

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Grand Teton Astrophotography

Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Yellowstone Astrophotography

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Puerto Rico Astrophotography

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Bryce Canyon Astrophotography

Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Puerto Rico Astrophotography

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) New York Astrophotography

The Big Dipper (Ursa Major) Catskills NY Astrophotography

Utah Astrophotography

The sky calls to us.
If we do not destroy ourselves,
we will one day venture to the stars.
--Carl Sagan

Utah is one of the best places for landscape Astrophotography in USA and maybe one of top 10 in the word. It has true and excellent amazing dark sky.

Utah Astrophotography - Milky Way and Airglow over Road

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 6400

Eruption of  Milky Way Utah Landscape Astrophotography

Airglow and Milky Way Utah Landscape Astrophotography

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 23sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400

Night Parking Utah Landscape Astrophotography

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 15sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400

Natural Color of Night Sky - Airglow and Big Dipper Utah Astrophotography

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 21sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400
 

Night sky observation with the Astronomy Rangers at Bryce Canyon National Park

Martian landscape from Bryce Canyon

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400

Milky Road

 Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400

Utah Backyard Astrophotography

Airglow Astrophotography - Bryce Canyon National Park - Sunset Point

Night sky with green Airglow, the Milky Way, Seven Sisters and Andromeda Galaxy is on the top; hoodoos, caused by erosion over many millennia are on bottom.  This photo was done from my trip to Bryce Canyon in Sunset Point.

Airglow Astrophotography in Bryce Canyon National Park

Canon 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 30.0 sec; f/3.5; ISO 6400

On this picture you can see a lot of green color on the sky. If this is real color or just effect of camera filter? This question directly connected to other question “What is natural color of night sky?”

I started to learn astronomy many years ago reading the book with black and white pictures. So in these books I didn't see color picture of the natural sky. Most of time I was living in big city with a lot of light pollution, and I am not able to see natural color of sky.

Still remember when first time recognize that some starts has color and after that read article about color of stars cannot be green. After that article I assumed that green color is very rear on the sky. But this is not correct.

Most of Comet Tails has green color. Some Nebular are green too. Northern Light mostly has green colors. But Northern Light visible only near North Pole, comets are rear so still assume that this green colors are exceptions. When I started see Internet picture I saw a lot of strange colors so assuming that these is Photoshop. Especially after reading article how to remove light pollution in Photoshop. And only made some my own pictures I recognized that green color from Airglow effect is gives a lot of green on the natural sky. So a green color is pretty common on the natural sky too.

This photo got about 1.5K likes on National Parks Traveler Facebook

National Parks Traveler Facebook Astrophotography

Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse September 27, 2015 Brooklyn New York

Total Lunar Eclipse September 27, 2015 Brooklyn New York


Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens, exposure 4 sec; f/5.6; ISO 640

Super Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse September 27, 2015 New York Brooklyn

Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens, exposure 1 sec; f/5.6; ISO 640

Super Blood Moon New York City

Canon 60Da, Canon EF 200mm f/2.8 L II USM Telephoto Lens, exposure 1 sec; f/9; ISO 320

Lunar Eclipse New York City

Cloudy Lunar Eclipse Brooklyn Astronomy

Cloudy Total Lunar Eclipse

Between clouds Total Lunar Eclipse

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

 

Milky Way over Sunset Point of Bryce Canyon - Astrophotography

A still more glorious dawn awaits.
Not a sunrise, but a galaxy rise.
A morning filled with 400 billion suns, the rising of the milky way.
Carl Sagan

This photo is from my trip to Bryce Canyon. It is continue my serious of night sky photos from National Parks. Bryce Canyon night sky is really very dark – you can see it from photo where the starry sky has natural green color – result of Airglow.

Photo is panorama of 7 shots; it is done in Sunset Point – Milky Way over Hoodoos.  Duration of one shot was 30 seconds, Camera – Canon 60Da,  Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Lens, F/3.5;   ISO 6400.

Milky Way over Sunset Point of Bryce Canyon - Astrophotography

Basketball Astrophotography - White Lake New York

Basketball and Milky Way - Astrophotography

Basketball Astrophotography - White Lake New York

Canon 60Da, Wide Angle EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, ISO 5000, f4, 30 sec

White Lake, New York - Astrophotography

All these photos were done in New York Upstate Catskill Mountains near White Lake London Cottages Resort.  Canon 60Da with Ultra Wide Angle Canon Lens EF 16 35mm f2.8L II U.

Night Reflection - White Lake, Catskill, New York

London Cottages at night - White Lake Catskill New York Upstate

Cloudy Night Sky at Catskill Mountains NY Upstate

Trees and Starry Night - Canon 60Da

Catskill  Bungalows White Lake NY Upstate Night Sky Astrophotography

New York Milky Way

Night Road and Starry Sky