Nightscapes

In the Dark

For years, I have been captivated by the wonders of the universe visible from a dark sky. From the Milky Way to the aurora borealis, total eclipses to deep sky objects, there are incredible phenomena that can be seen – if not with the naked eye, with a simple camera and lens.

I really got 'serious' about photographing at night in July 2023 on my road trip around the Western US. The skies were incredibly dark and so clear that there just wasn't much sky interest in daytime landscapes. So I pivoted. My first few Milky Way images that I made an effort with are below, from the Eastern Sierras. Both were captured as the 2023 Perseids were starting to wind up. In fact, on the night I shot at Mammoth Lakes, I witnessed the brightest fireball I've ever seen just after sunset while driving back to camp. It far outshone the quarter moon. It turns out that single bright meteor was seen all over the southwest.

I continued to make an effort with Milky Way images as my road trip progressed, despite the increasing impact of the moon and wildfire smoke. Some of those images are still on my processing to-do list.

In the fall, I made a few last Milky Way images home in Vermont, and then witnessed my very first Aurora Borealis in November.

2024 brought the Total Solar Eclipse and one of the strongest Geomagnetic storms in many years. This time, I made the effort to plan ahead and travel, and boy did it pay off! Later in the spring, I dedicated much of a trip to Acadia toward Milky Way images, many of which are included on this page. That trip was my first time using the star tracker for Milky Way, and boy does it make a difference!

I have some ambitious Milky Way images planned for late summer and early fall, as well as a list of compositions for next spring. My hope is that another Western road trip is in the cards next year as well!