Our Galaxy
“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
A moment captured in camera during early hours a July in Atacama desert, Chile shows the milkyway arch across Moon Valley. The sky was a touch hazy that morning giving a very welcoming glow to cosmic light.
As an astro photographer I hate cloudy skys. But sometimes best comes with the most unexpected circumstances, like this particular night in Sri Lanka. Cloudy skys gave away the magical scenery it was hiding behind. The haze simplified the cosmic view so that only the brightest and most prominent ‘made it to the stage’. 2 minutes of pure magic before it went thick again.
Summer months in northern hemisphere gives us the chance to see the galactic core of milky way. June, July months do not get ‘pitch-dark’ hence the night sky does not reveal itself like in winter months. But that has its own beauty like in this photograph. ‘hazy’ milky way perfectly complements the lush greens of the surrounding.
The dried riverbed revealing signs of water long gone. Shining above is the core of our own galaxy 28,000 light years away. Hidden with in its light are the clues to its DNA. Everything in front of me gives the ‘traces’ of their past.
Milkyway captured above sea fog in Tenerife from Teide National park. Fog illuminated from city-lights below.
Beautiful dawn in Atacama desert with setting Milkyway.
Coconut trees in the middle of paddy-fields is quite common in the dry-zone of Sri Lanks. In clear August nights the set-up is fascinating with with Milkyway high above in the sky.
Very often photographs share a stories. This image for me in a way tells how humanity ventured in to space. What we have achieved in space travelling so far and whats yet to come. Mars shining low in horizon and galactic core of milky way in the frame, bus stop is almost like a starting point to the journey.
In my years of Astro Photography, hands down this is the best dark sky location I have seen. This is far in to Atacama Desert in Chilie, at the edge of Bolivian border. I was trilled to see Milkyway that bright to naked eye (of course not as bright as the camera can see :) ). Natural structured on the ground was phenomenal too.
Beautiful landscape matched by the wonders of cosmos. The majesty of sky and earth sometimes helps us to understand how infinitesimal we are in grand scheme of things.
Setting Milkyway over beautiful Chilie'n Atacama desert. Although it was winter what you see in white in foreground is not snow but salt.
My very first photograph of Persiods Meteor Shower. August marks the return of complete darkness in UK (after summer months of perpetual twilight). Milkyway and Meteors was stunning to watch.
I love photographs showing the impressiveness of nature and universe. This is one of those. Milky way perfectly lining up with the giant rock; the set up made me tiny in the frame. Kind of put things in perspective..!!
Chilean Atacama desert is known for its dark skys. Cold and dry atmosphere makes it great place for night sky observations. Solitary human structure with setting Milkyway as the back drop makes very good companions for a fascinating photograph.