Night Sky Photography

Mudcracks and sand dunes at night, Death Valley

Mudcracks in the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Death Valley National Park, California

The Milky Way stretches from horizon to horizon with some clouds hovering near the horizon.

The summer Milky Way from Cedar Breaks National Monument in southern Utah.

A dark blue twilight sky is bisected by the glow of the Milky Way, and reflected in a tranquil pond.

The Milky Way begins to emerge in twilight.

stars streak across a purple sky, with cliffs of red rock and lots of trees in a canyon below

Star trails over the La Verkin Creek drainage, Zion National Park, Utah

The Great Orion Nebula

Aurora borealis from Bellingham, Washington

The summer Milky Way sets over the southern horizon near Escalante, Utah.

A comet with a bright nucleus and long tail appears in the pre-dawn sky.

Photo of the spring night sky with zodiacal light and Orion

Three landmarks of the winter night sky, Sirius (left), Orion (center, in flashlight beam), and the Pleiades (right) make their way towards the western horizon, where the bright band of the zodiacal light juts into the sky.

A panorama of the California coastline showing many large light domes degrading the view of the night sky.

Nighttime panorama from the cliffs above Scorpion Ranch on Santa Cruz Island.

Several rocky islands sit in a bay with stars in the sky overhead.

The stars of Scorpius hang above sea stacks along the coast in Olympic National Park.

Full Moon sky over Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Lagoon Nebula (M8)

White icefields and glaciers at the summit of a peak are visible through some clouds

Light from a full moon illuminates the glaciers and icefields on the summit of Mt. Rainier, barely visible through the clouds.

A large volcanic peak illuminated by moonlight with stars in the background sky.

Mt. Rainier bathed in the light of a nearly full moon.

Milky Way and airglow from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park

Milky Way, Airglow, and Seattle light pollution from Hurrican Ridge, Olympic National Park

The night sky including the Milky Way and the streak of a meteor is seen over a tall mountain peak.

A meteor takes aim at Jupiter.

Star trails and high clouds from Jumbo Rocks Campground, Joshua Tree National Park, California

Close-up view of a comet with a bright nucleus and a two-pronged tail

A comet and its tail appears in the pre-dawn sky with a mountain range and valley fog in the foreground

Comet NEOWISE rises over Mt. Rainier.

The Milky Way is just barely visible in the sky over the coastline

The Milky Way was just barely visible due to the bright moon.

A person sits on a log along the beach watching the moon rise over the coastline.

The night sky is illuminated by the rising, nearly full moon.

The constellation Orion hovers over the hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Reflection of Milky Way and volcanic cone in a tranquil lake.

Bright Jupiter rises above the summit of Mt. Adams, with the summer Milky Way reflected in the calm surface of Takhlakh Lake.

A bright comet appears just over the horizon in the pre-dawn sky

Autumn star trails over Notch Peak, House Range, Utah. The mountains are lit by the light of a first quarter moon.

Coyote Gulch, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Utah

A softly lit tent at the edge of a forest is seen with the night sky partially obscured by clouds overhead.

Clouds coming over the Cascade Crest partially obscures the Milky Way. Jupiter is seen.

Stars and planets dot the sky over cliffs and canyons of red rock

The night sky from the Kolob Canyon area of Zion National Park, Utah. Light pollution from Cedar City is visible on the horizon at left.

Milky Way stretching from horizon to horizon.

The Milky Way spans the sky from horizon to horizon as seen from near Delta, Colorado.

Ful moonlight over Wheller Peak and Stella Lake

Light from the rising full moon illuminates Wheeler Peak and Stella Lake, Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Close-up of the center of the MIlky Way Galaxy. Several star clusters and emission nebulae (pink), popularly known as stellar nurserys, are visible in this 1-minute exposure.