Southern Hemisphere Astrophotography

If you saw Northern Hemisphere stars but you've never saw Southern Hemisphere night sky, you only know half the story. The southern night sky contains a greater range of interesting features.

Magellanic Clouds are visible to the unaided eye in the Southern Hemisphere.

Bolivia Night Sky with Magellanic Clouds (two irregular dwarf galaxies) and Red AirGlow near horison. Hotel Tayka del Desierto (Ojo de Perdiz). Altitude about 4600 m / 15000 feet.

Southern Hemisphere Astrophotography Magellanic Clouds  Bolivia

Two cloud-like patches of light are the neighbouring galaxies known as the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud. They are about 170,000 light years away and the Large Magellanic Cloud contains about 10,000 million stars. These are the closest galaxies to our own and are a stunning sight whether viewed with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. They are considered to be satellite galaxies linked by gravity to the Milky Way.

Southern Hemisphere Astrophotography: Magellanic Cloud, Southern Cross, Alpha and Beta Centauri,  Milky Way - Chile

Part of the Milky Way Panorama

Southern Hemisphere Astrophotography - Colors of Night Sky

Southern Hemisphere Astrophotography - Chile Astrophotography

Southern Hemisphere Milky Way Panorama - Bolivia Astrophotography

Southern Hemisphere Milky Way Mountain Bolivia Astrophotography

Unintentional Camera Movement Astrophotography

Most of astrophotography is long exposure photos (except photos of sun and some other exception). During long exposure time a lot of can happen. Tripod may move, focus of camera may change, etc. Sometimes you even not remember what happen and only see some strange result on photo. I started astrophotography in middle school with such weird photos. Photos had UFO, which I did not saw by naked eye. Probably it was reflection of car light but maybe not.

There is very close popular photo technic - Intentional Camera Movement. But I am talking about Unintentional Camera Movement. This is one of the photos from adventures in Bolivia. Photo was done in Salar de Uyuni. Interesting effect – looks like camera reached warp speed. No Idea how it happened, probably changed zoom.

Unintentional Camera Movement Astrophotography - Warp Speed

And this is one more example

Unintentional Camera Movement Astrophotography - Meteor Shower

Bolivia Astrophotography - Salar de Uyuni at Night

It's something unreal. Photos were done during a Uyuni stargazing tour. Salar de Uyuni Bolivia Milky Way, Southern hemisphere sky, Crux constellation, red and green Airglow, elevation 3,650 m or 12,000 ft. Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat. Hexagonal formations on the surface is visible on photos. Such formation is a result of salt crystallization from evaporating water.

Canon EOS 60Da, 30 sec., Canon Lens EF16-35mm, f/2.8, ISO 6400, panorama of night sky.

Bolivia Astrophotography - Salar de Uyuni at Night

With 10,582 km^2, more than 10 billion tons of salt and containing up to 70% of the world’s lithium reserves, Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat, a vast salt plain near the crest of the Andes in southwest Bolivia has amazing, fantastic night sky view!

Salar de Uyuni Milky Way Bolivia Astrophotography

Southern hemisphere night sky Milky  Way Bolivia Astrophotography

Zodiacal Light Bolivia Astrophotography

Zodiacal light - Bolivia Astrophotography - 2 hours after sunset (elevation: 4020 m / 13190 feet). Jupiter is on the top of the image. Photo was done near Hotel Jardines De Mallku Cueva, Bolivia. New Moon. Canon EOS 60Da, 25 sec., Canon Lens EF16-35mm, f/2.8, ISO 6400, panorama of 3 images. Digital cameras are more capable in collecting light, but even visually the Zodiacal light was clearly visible to the naked eye.

Zodiacal Light Bolivia Astrophotography

Zodiacal light is a faint, diffuse, and roughly triangular glow that is visible in the good dark night sky far from any light pollution and appears to extend from the Sun's direction and along the zodiac. The zodiacal light appears as a column, brighter at the horizon, tilted at the angle of the ecliptic. The light scattered from extremely small dust particles. The source of the dust probably originated from the tails of active comets.

There is color variation of the photo

Zodiacal Light Astrophotography

Black and White version of the Zodiacal Light - most close to what I saw.

Zodiacal Light Astrophotography Black and White

 

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.

Mauna Kea Observatories, Big Island Hawaii

The purpose of life is the investigation of 

the Sun, the Moon, and the heavens.

— Anaxagoras, Philosopher

Mauna Kea is one of the best places in the planet for an astronomical observation. The elevation is about 4,200 meters (13,800 ft). The atmosphere above the mountain is extremely dry and cloud-free, the proportion of clear nights is among the highest in the world with minimum optical turbulence.

Subaru Telescope Hawaii Mauna Kea Observatories

From left to right the Smithsonian Submillimeter Array, the Subaru Telescope, the twin Keck I and II telescopes, and the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility - Hawaii Mauna Kea Observatories

Note, that the Submillimeter Array is important component of the Event Horizon Telescope, which made photo of the Black Hole Shadow at the center of Messier 87 Galaxy.

W. M. Keck Observatory - Hawaii Mauna Kea Observatories

Big Island Hawaii Mauna Kea Observatories - W. M. Keck Observatory

Very Long Baseline Array Radio Telescope on Hawaii - Mauna Kea Observatories

NASA Infrared Telescope Facility Hawaii Observatory

Above the Clouds - Hawaii Mauna Kea Big Island

Skydriving  Hawaii Mauna Kea

Sunset Hawai Mauna Kea

Stargazing and Astrophotography near  MaunaKea Visitor Information Station

Night Sky MaunaKea Visitor Information Station

MaunaKea Visitor Information Station is located at the 9,300-foot (2,800 m) elevation, south of the summit.

Hawaii Lunar Eclipse Jan 20 2019

One more photo from vacation. In this case vacation was during full moon :(, but it also was total lunar eclipse :). Hawaii Lunar Eclipse Jan 20 2019.

Hawaii Lunar Eclipse Jan 20 2019

Canon EOS 60D, EF200mm f/2.8L II USM, f/4.5;   ISO 1000

Tupper Lake New York Adirondack Mountains Astrophotography

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

Tupper Lake New York Milky Way Astrophotography

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

Adirondack Mountains Tupper Lake Big Dipper New York Astrophotography

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

Pleiades over Tupper Lake - Adirondack Mountains Astrophotography

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

Reflection of Big Dipper - Tupper Lake Astrophotography

Adirondack Public Observatory

Adirondack Public Observatory (Tupper Lake, New York) -  is one of the best places in New York State (and East Cost) for sky observation.

Adirondack Public Observatory and Milky Way

Adirondack Public Observatory in the day time

Adirondack Public Observatory -Tupper Lake - New York

Northeast Astronomy Forum NEAF 2018

The immense distances to the stars 

and the galaxies mean 

that we see everything in space in the past, 

some as they were before the Earth came to be. 

Telescopes are time machines.

- Carl Sagan

Astronomy & Space Expo 2018 New York

NEAF 2018

Sky and Telescope Astronomy Tours  NEAF 2018

America the Beatiful at Night NEAF 2018

Classic Telescopes NEAF 2018

Explore Scientific Telescope NEAF2018

Solar Filters DayStar NEAF 2018

Binocular NEAF 2018

New iOptron SkyTracker NEAF 2018

Glatter Parallizer NEAF 2018

Diffraction Spikes Telescopes NEAF 2018

Coronado Telescope NEAF 2018

Telescope NEAF 2018

Antelope Canyon at Night - Astrophotography Arizona

One more night photo from my Arizona trip.

Antelope Canyon at Night - Astrophotography Arizona

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

And photo near Antelope Canyon - Horseshoe Bend SunSet

Horseshoe Bend SunSet

Night Storm Grand Canyon Arizona Astrophotography

I had only one night at Grand Canyon. The weather was not good, but as minimum I tried. Canon EOS 60Da, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, 96 sec, f/2.8; ISO 6400.Mather Point, South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona.

Night Storm Grand Canyon Arizona Astrophotography

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

Cloudy Night Grand Canyon Astrophotography Arizona