Astronomy photography, or more simply astrophotography is the process of capturing the heavens above – either on their own, or as in many of the works shown here, with terrestrial subjects (termed ‘nightscapes‘ by the wider community). Each of these images captures a specific moment in the evolution of the universe: stars, suns, moons, aurorae, and much in between. While we can’t see the universe with this level of fidelity through our unaided eyes, every day technology brings us closer.
Astrophotography
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Evidence
SUPERNAUT
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Atop lutruwita/Tasmania's highest easily accessible road, Ben Lomond's village is respite for those hitting the slopes for the island's brief and often unpredictable ski season. During the nights, high altitude and isolation give one of the darkest skies on the planet - perfect for taking in the rising Milky Way and airglow engulfing the chalets below. The fresh snow even served as a mirror in the field, reflecting starlight as we moved.
Sweep
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Tesselated
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The Creation of Adam
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Numbering just under 300 and standing for hundreds of years defiant against one of the harshest environments in Australia, the Miena cider gum (Eucalyptus gunnii subsp. divaricata) has been a consistent companion for the traditional custodians of the land, the Tyerrernotepanner who have lived beside and relied on nourishment from for millennia. Its high altitude, usually dry air, and proximity to very little humanity make it an excellent observing companion for astronomy -- a passtime sadly being ruined by the relentless acceleration of 'space junk' - criss-crossing our skies at hellish pace, and leaving inescapable light trails in their wake. Humans have left indelible marks across virtually every environment on terra firma, like the relentless march of climate change that has driven the Ciders to the brink of extinction; particularly bad wildfire seasons in the recent decades have wiped the vast majority of the population out, leaving ghostly gnarled remains on the alpine landscape.
The Golden Path
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As an astrophotographer, only a few things remain evergreen fixtures in what I get to image. One of those is airglow – something that Tasmanian skies are (in)famous for. Hanging above the skies like an earthbound aurora, the two are often correlated events, scintillating in hues of reds, and greens, and intense yellows. But even their glow is nothing to match the immense core of our galaxy, the Milky Way, setting behind it and the infamous Jacob's Ladder draped atop Ben Lomond.
The Visitor
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Tonight Alive
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Warpaint
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On lutruwita/Tasmania's east coast, many bays take in some of the darkest skies on the planet. Not so on this evening - with a full moon hanging above, not long after sunset, the sky was swamped with intense auroral beams in all directions. Below, the lichens of the coastal rocks exhibit biofluorescence - a natural glow in response to certain types of light.