Skip to the places

Backyard Newtonian / On EarthThe ground beneath the night sky

A view from the ground / The observing sites

The places behind
the photographs.

Every deep-sky image begins somewhere here on Earth. These photographs show the camps, equipment and skies around the nights of imaging.

The Milky Way above the silhouette of a camper and trees

The field collection / Twelve views

From the ground up.

From twilight setup to red-lit equipment and the Milky Way overhead. Select a photograph to view the full frame.

Telescope, glowing tent and vehicle beneath the star-filled Milky Way — 02 / At the campsiteTelescope and tent beneath the stars

Milky Way above a dark ridge with trees and parked vehicles — 03 / Dark skiesA ridge beneath the Milky Way

Telescope on a red equatorial mount backlit by the low sun — 04 / Before nightfallSetting up at twilight

A dark evergreen silhouetted against the Milky Way — 05 / The night skyA tree beneath the galaxy

Astronomical telescope illuminated by red lights against a starry sky — 06 / In the fieldAt work after dark

Telescope and red astronomy camera silhouetted against the Milky Way — 07 / Looking upwardThe camera and the cosmos

Red-lit camper and seated figure under pink and green auroral light — 08 / An unexpected skyAurora over camp

Telescope on a tripod under the stars, with red lights and a glowing control panel — 09 / The equipmentControls beneath the stars

Telescope with a red light pointing into a starry sky above bare tree silhouettes — 10 / Looking upwardStars over the treeline

Milky Way and a comet with a visible tail above a silhouetted treeline — 11 / Passing lightA comet beside the Milky Way

Red and green curtains of auroral light against the night sky — 12 / Northern lightsAurora in red and green