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

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

Yellowstone Night Landscape Geyser eruption Canon 60Da

One more photo from Yellowstone National Park trip - Eruption of Old Faithful Geyser. Eruption was so strong that take most space on photo with wide angle lens. Dew was so big after eruption that it took some time to heat the lens to start photography again after that photo.

Yellowstone Night Landscape Geyser eruption Canon 60Da

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

Yellowstone Geyser eruption and the Milky Way

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

Yellowstone night sky Geyser astrophotography Canon 60Da

  Camera Canon 60Da; Wide Angle Lens EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM; Exposure 15.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 3200

Yellowstone night  photography - black and white - Old Faithful Geyser

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

Milky Way Galaxy Over Yellowstone National Park Starry night Sky Astrophotography Canon 60Da

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

Yellowstone Park Milky Way Galaxy Geyser Airglow Night Sky Landscape Astrophotography

 Camera Canon 60Da; Wide Angle Lens EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM; Exposure 30.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 3200

Yellowstone eruptions and Pleiades seven sisters M45 Astrophotography

 Camera Canon 60Da; Wide Angle Lens EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM; Exposure 15.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 3200

Pleiades and geyser Yellowstone night starry sky landscape Canon 60da

Yellowstone starry night astrophotography Canon 60Da

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

 

Reflection of Ursa Major (Big Dipper) Grand Teton Nightscape Astrophotography Canon 60Da

Night sky at Grand Teton is so dark that you can easily to see reflection of stars. Jackson Lake, Colter Bay, Grand Teton National Park – reflection of Big Dipper (Ursa Major constellation). You can see green Airglow near horizon and "star paths" -  lengthened reflection of stars from slightly agitated water.  

As simple as possible

Reflection of Ursa major (Big Dipper)  Grand Teton Nightscape Astrophotography Canon 60Da

Canon 60Da; Canon Wide Angle Lens EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM; Exposure 15.0 sec; f/2.8; ISO 4000

Top 10 amateur astrophotography targets

There is my list of top 10 objects for beginners in astrophotography

1.    Milky Way
2.    Northern Lights and airglow and bioluminescence
3.    Star trails and/or photography of meteor shower
4.    Zodiacal Light
5.    Moon
6.    Sun
7.    Saturn
8.    Jupiter
9.    Solar Eclipse
10.   Lunar Eclipse

Milky Way View From Earth - Yellowstone

Night Scape Astrophotography Award Astronomyforum.net 3rd Quarter 2014

StarTalk radio chose my photo - Grand Teton Milky Way

Universe Today posted my image Yellowstone Astrophotography

Yellowstone Astrophotography photo was couple of days in Google News

NYC Solar eclipse photo was chosen by Yahoo news as Best-of Flickr week photo