Our astrophoto of the month is this delightful scene of the southern lights, or aurora australis, captured from Auckland, New Zealand by Rinshu Jaiswal during the intense solar storm of early May.
What makes this photograph so special is that the southern lights seldom make such a dazzling appearance anywhere but Antarctica.
Under 'normal' conditions, the northern lights (aurora borealis) and southern lights are usually only witnessed at high latitudes, concentrated around the polar regions. But a rare G5 geomagnetic storm triggered by our hyperactive sun just a few days prior sparked aurora shows deep into the mid-latitudes.
"It is very rare to capture southern aurora this up north but last night was epic," Jaiswal told Space.com in an email
"We could see the colors and beams with naked eyes. It was an experience of a lifetime." Jaiswal continued.
The northern and southern lights occur with equal frequency, but it's far less common for someone to see the southern lights. This is simply due to the fact that there are considerably fewer people living in latitudes close to the South Pole as compared to the North Pole.
Jaiswal's image also shows the beautiful range of colors that auroras can take, depending on the chemical composition of the atmosphere.
Green auroras typically occur when charged particles interact with high concentrations of oxygen molecules in Earth's atmosphere at altitudes of around 60 to 190 miles (100 to 300 kilometers). Red auroras occur when charged particles react with oxygen molecules at higher altitudes, generally around 180 to 250 miles (300 to 400 km).
Blue and purple auroras are produced when charged particles collide with nitrogen at an altitude of about 60 miles or less. Yellow and pink auroras are rare and are typically associated with high solar activity. These colors result from a mixture of red auroras with green or blue auroras.
How to get involved
Each month Space.com chooses an "astrophoto of the month" to celebrate and acknowledge the stunning images captured by our readers.
For your chance to be considered, please send your send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com. From the full moon to deep-space targets, the Starlink satellite train to planetary conjunctions, we want to see it all!
If you're inspired by these photos and are thinking about purchasing some new kit, our guides to the best telescopes and best binoculars are a great place to start.
Our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography, as well as our Astrophotography for beginners guides, will also help you choose the right gear to capture your next stunning space photo.
Related: What you can see in the night sky tonight (maps)
For any successful astrophotography venture, preparation is key. It's important to understand what you can see in the night sky and when. Here are some helpful guides designed to help you get the most out of your skywatching experience.
Skywatching guides
- Night sky guide: What you can see in the night sky tonight (maps): Our stargazing guide tells you what's up in your night sky and how to see it.
- The brightest planets in the night sky: What you can see (and when): Our viewing guide tells you which planets are visible in the night sky and how you can see them.
- Meteor shower guide: When is the next one?: Find out when the next meteor shower will occur and what the viewing prospects are like for meteor showers throughout the year.
- Solar eclipse guide: When is the next one?: Our solar eclipse guide tells you when the next solar eclipse will occur and where you'll need to be located to see it.
- Lunar eclipse guide: When is the next one?: Our lunar eclipse guide tells you when the next lunar eclipse will occur and where you'll need to be located to see it.
- Full moon calendar: Find out when the next full moon will occur.
Astrophotography guides
- How to photograph the aurora: Here is our beginner's guide on how to photograph the aurora, which includes the best techniques and camera settings for capturing the northern lights.
- How to view and photograph comets: Learn how to observe and photograph comets. Get the best sights and images of these celestial encounters with our handy guide.
- How to photograph the ISS: It's very possible to photograph the International Space Station, but you need to know where the ISS is, and how to track it. Our guide explains it all.
- How to photograph meteors and meteor showers: Capturing the moment a meteor streaks across the sky is extremely rewarding. We explore the where, when and how in this guide to photographing meteors.
- How to photograph the Milky Way: Create stunning night sky images by learning to photograph the Milky Way like a pro.
- How to photograph the moon: These are the techniques, times and tools you'll need to photograph the moon.
- How to photograph a solar eclipse: Safely capture a solar eclipse on camera to reveal one of nature's most spectacular sights.
- How to photograph star trails: The best camera settings and shooting tips for anyone looking to photograph star trails.
- How to photograph Starlink satellites: Discover the best methods and camera equipment to photograph SpaceX's Starlink satellites at night using this step-by-step method.
Previous winners
April
Our astrophoto of the month is this extraordinary view of 'Devil Comet' 12P/Pons-Brooks captured by Chris Schur from his viewing location in Payson, Arizona, U.S. on April 9, 2024.
"The comet is a spectacular sight both in binoculars and with the camera from our northern Arizona location," Schur told Space.com in an email.
Schur's photo shows a distinct 'kink' in the comet's tail. This was likely created in a 'disconnection event' triggered by a coronal mass ejection (CME), a large expulsion of plasma and magnetic field from the sun, or a strong gust of solar wind, according to Spaceweather.com. During such disconnection events, these solar outbursts can uproot a comet's tail and force it away from the comet
Read more: Watch 'Devil Comet' approach the sun during explosive coronal mass ejection (video)
Lens: 8 inch f/2 RASA
Camera: ASI071mc CMOS
Exposure: 14 mins
"This image is our best shot yet at this wonder. The beautiful kinked blue gas tail follows the dusty amber-tinted coma shaped like a parabola," Schur continued.
On April 21, comet 12P/Pons-Brooks passed within about 72.6 million miles (116.8 million kilometers) of the sun, equivalent to about three-quarters of Earth's distance from the sun.
The comet is now an object for Southern Hemisphere observers as it moves away from the sun and continues its journey through the solar system. It won't return to our skies until 2095.
Schur was fortunate enough to capture the comet in all its glory before it departed our northern skies.
"Visually, the comet was easily seen with the naked eye and also in binoculars, it was a breathtaking sight not to be forgotten."
March 2024
Our astrophoto of the month is a beautifully detailed image of IC 2177, more commonly known as the Seagull Nebula.
The image was captured by amateur astrophotographer Rod Prazeres from Brisbane, Australia who started his astrophotography journey in 2023.
"It's a steep learning curve but I am enjoying every step of the way," Prazeres told Space.com in an email.
The Seagull Nebula is a dramatic spectacle located on the border between the constellations Monoceros and Canis Major that resembles a seagull in flight. The large bright emission nebula spreads out over about 100 light-years.
"This closer view, the result of over 21 hours of dedication, not only highlights the nebula's vivid beauty but also the awe it inspires, bridging the cosmic with the personal," Prazeres continued.
— Imaging telescopes: William Optics RedCat 51 II
— Imaging camera: ZWO ASI2600MM Pro
The luminous cloud at the "head" of the seagull nebula glows bright due to the energetic radiation from the hot young star within it, known as HD 53367. If you look towards the center of the image, slightly to the right is a bluish arc. This is a bow shock from runaway star FN Canis Majoris as it speeds through space, its stellar winds interacting with the interstellar medium, the material and radiation between stars.
Nebulas are found in the interstellar medium. They play a key role in the life cycle of stars, both at their birth and death. Stars are born in dense clumps of gas, dust, and other material inside diffuse emission nebulas, also frequently referred to as "stellar nurseries". When stars like the sun reach the end of their life as compact white dwarfs, they shrink further and release clouds of gas which form so-called "planetary nebula". This is a rather misleading name because such nebulas have nothing to do with planets.
February 2024
Our astrophoto of the month is this stunning image of the Full Snow Moon captured by Amartya Mishra on Feb. 24 from Kathmandu, Nepal.
The full moon occurs when the moon is exactly on the opposite side of the Earth from the sun.
February's Full Snow Moon happened when the moon was close to its farthest point from Earth in its orbit, known as apogee. This meant that the full moon appeared up to 10% smaller in the night sky, not enough for most of us to notice but experienced moonwatchers like Mishra were able to tell the difference.
"It was a really beautiful sight. The full moon did appear a bit smaller, and it was noticeable to me as I've been observing the moon for quite some time." Mishra told Space.com in an email.
The Snow Moon gets its name due to its occurrence amid winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and February can often be the snowiest month for many parts of North America. In China, February's full moon this year marks the end of the Spring Festival, the holiday period that begins with Lunar New Year. In 2024, this full moon falls during a traditional holiday known as the Lantern Festival marking a high point in Chinese New Year celebrations.
"It was tricky for me to capture it initially as the clouds were making the full moon look very murky, but then the skies cleared and the feeling of seeing it high and bright was of pure happiness!" Mishra continued.
You can see more of Mishra's astrophotography work on X @spaceguy_24.
January 2024
Our astrophoto of the month is this detailed image of the emission nebula IC 417, also known as "the Spider Nebula," captured by astrophotographer Ron Brecher.
Located about 10,000 light-years away in the constellation Auriga, the Spider Nebula is found in the outer part of the Milky Way, almost exactly in the opposite direction from the galactic center.
The stunning scene is energized by hot, massive blue stars embedded within, according to Brecher. Toward the center-right is a cluster of young stars called "Stock 8", according to NASA. The light from these new stars carves out a bowl shape in the nearby dust clouds.
Related: James Webb Space Telescope's stunning mosaic of Orion Nebula uncovers rogue planets (photos)
Nebulas are giant clouds of gas and dust commonly associated with both the birth of stars and their death. Emission nebulas are a type of nebula where these clouds of ionized gas and dust are heated up by the stars within and emit their own light at optical wavelengths.
For those wanting a more in-depth image capture description and post-processing techniques, check out Brecher's astrophotography website.
December 2023
Our astrophoto of the month is this remarkable composite photograph of Geminid meteors streaking over Priddy Pools in Somerset, United Kingdom by Josh Dury.
The image was captured between 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. local time on Dec. 13. Due to the clear skies, Dury saw over 40 meteors that night.
Related: Meteor showers 2023: When is the next one?
" I was overwhelmed at the publicity this image received having been featured by BBC News and major UK TV and social media platforms." Dury told Space.com.
The composite image was captured over 2.5 hours, using the Sigma 14mm F/1.4 DG DN Art Lens and Sony A7S II.
The Geminid meteor shower is active every year between Nov. 19 and Dec. 24. It peaked on Dec. 14 and provided skywatchers with quite the show.
Unlike most of the meteor showers we experience on Earth, the Geminids are a by-product of an asteroid, not a comet. The Geminids are associated with near-Earth object 3200 Phaethon, an asteroid that may have undergone a collision with another object in the distant past to produce the stream of particles that Earth runs into — creating the meteor shower.
The strange asteroid behaves like a comet and orbits the sun every 1.4 years. When Earth passes through the debris left behind by Phaethon the "asteroid crumbs" heat up as they enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up in bright bursts of light.
November 2023
Our astrophoto of the month is this stunning photograph of the aurora borealis shining brightly over Penmon Lighthouse, Anglesey, North Wales, U.K., captured by astrophotographer Gareth Mon Jones.
The image was taken on Nov. 5, when a powerful geomagnetic storm supercharged auroras and STEVE around the world. Geomagnetic storms occur when Earth's magnetic field is disturbed by solar material from coronal mass ejections (CME) — large expulsions of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun's atmosphere.
Related: Aurora colors: What causes them and why do they vary?
Auroras, known as the northern lights or aurora borealis in the Northern Hemisphere and the southern light or aurora australis in the Southern Hemisphere, are triggered when energized particles from the sun slam into Earth's atmosphere and are redirected toward the poles by our planet's magnetic field.
"The person you see in the image on the right is my partner Kat Lawman, also an astrophotographer, this was her first time witnessing the northern lights from Anglesey, North Wales as you can tell by her reaction," Mon Jones told Space.com in an email.
Mon and his partner had to study the aurora predictions carefully and keep an eye on the local weather to get the best out of the geomagnetic storm.
"We had to keep a keen eye on the stats and the weather as it was raining and we timed our shoot to perfection or rather to our advantage as most of the country that night missed this part of the solar storm as they were in cloud most of the night," Mon Jones continued.
Camera: Nikon Z6 with a 20mm at f2.2
Exposure time: 13 seconds
Iso: 3200
Post-processing: 7-shot panorama stitched together in Lightroom
Aurora spectacles like this one captured by Mon are becoming more likely as the sun approaches peak activity during Solar Cycle 25. The solar cycle describes an approximately 11-year period of solar activity driven by the sun's magnetic field and indicated by the frequency and intensity of sunspots visible on the surface.
Recent estimates suggest the sun's activity will peak between January and October 2024.
The peak is expected to be earlier, stronger and last longer than previous estimates. As such, experts estimate the next 4 to 5 years will be the best time to see the northern lights during this solar cycle.
October 2023
Our astrophoto of the month is this remarkable composite image of the annular solar eclipse on Oct. 14 as seen over Monument Valley, Utah, captured by Rajat Kumar Pal.
The foreground landscape photo was taken shortly after sunrise as the sun can be seen just to the left of Sentinel Mesa, a 6,417-foot (1,956-meter) mountain rising out of the desert plateau.
"I kept this as a foreground image because it shows a beautiful diffraction of the sun rays at the mesa wall and also gives an idea where the sun has risen today," Pal told Space.com in an email.
The eclipse was captured separately and the two images combined to create a spectacular composite.
"It was a beautiful time enjoying the eclipse in the serene company of my wife and other eclipse enthusiasts," Pal continued.
— Sony A7SII
— 17-24 mm lens
— Post-processing in Photoshop CC
The annular solar eclipse caught the attention of skywatchers throughout the Americas and was visible to millions of people. For many, it served as a good "warm-up" to the total eclipse on April 8, 2024.
If this image has inspired you to plan something similar for the next eclipse our how to photograph a solar eclipse and how to observe the sun safely (and what to look for) guides may help. We also have guides on the best cameras for astrophotography and the best binoculars.
September 2023
Our astrophoto of the month and winner of a signed bookplate and copy of a new book about asteroid Bennu co-authored by Queen guitarist and part-time astronomer Sir Brian May and OSIRIS-REx mission head scientist Dante Lauretta is this beautiful lunar eclipse captured by Bobby Bristoe from his backyard in Ellettsville, Indiana.
The Space.com team had a hard time sifting through the large volume of impressive entries, so thank you to everyone who took part!
The single 13-second photo taken at 12:28 a.m. on Jan. 21, 2019, captures the red-blue hue of the lunar eclipse as the moon just starts emerging out from Earth's shadow.
Bristoe snapped this image through his 10" SkyWatcher Telescope with a Modified Full Spectrum Canon T5i Rebel and an Astronomik CLS Filter. " The processing was done with Photoshop CS6, I did not play with the color mix other than to adjust the tint and temperature," Bristoe told Space.com in an email.
— SkyWatcher 10" Goto Dobsonian
— Canon T5i full spectrum modified Rebel
— Exposure 13 seconds ISO 100
— 60mm hole in the telescope cover
— Astronomik CLS filter
"The most challenging part was that it was 0 Fahrenheit outside," Bristoe continued. "I mostly stayed in the house watching tv and would check on things every few minutes. I wanted to enjoy the eclipse but staying out more than 5 minutes was challenging."
A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth is positioned between the sun and the moon and casts a shadow over the lunar surface. The 2019 total lunar eclipse that was photographed by Bristoe was visible to millions of people in North and South America.
The next and final lunar eclipse of 2023 will be a partial lunar eclipse on Oct. 28, 2023 and will be visible across parts of the Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia To find out when, where and how to see this year's lunar eclipses, check out our lunar eclipses 2023 guide.
Do you have a space photo you'd like to share with us? Email photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
August 2023
— Skywatcher 200P Dob (8” aperture)
— Manual tracking
— ZWO ASI462MM, 2.5x Televue powermate
— UV and IR filters from Astromania.
— The false color was prepared by colorizing the ultraviolet and infrared captures; IR (red)/ 50/50 UV/IR (synthetic Green)/UV (blue).
Our astrophoto of the month is this incredible composite image of Venus' clouds evolving over a five-month period from March to July 2023, captured by Konstantinos Beis from Wiltshire, U.K.
Beis' photos of Venus show the Venusian clouds in false color, drastically changing in size and shape over the course of the observation period.
"I was aware that the clouds will change but not on a daily basis, so that was a pleasant surprise," Beis told Space.com in an email. "I do not remember seeing similar/repeated patterns in my images which shows how dynamic the Venusian clouds are."
Was it difficult to capture these images of Venus?
I had some technical issues at the beginning using a colour camera as it did not give me any UV clouds (lack of sensitivity at the UV region) but switching to a mono camera greatly helped and the end result is very pleasing.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when capturing these images of Venus?
The main challenge for me is that I have a complete manual setup so finding Venus was a bit of a challenge at the beginning as I was capturing all the images during daytime with the sun high up. Venus is bright once you find it with the finder scope but not to the eye looking up at the sky. The advantage of capturing it in the daytime is that there is less atmospheric disturbance and more stable seeing to get the finer UV details. In contrast, captures in the late afternoon or after sunset give more noisy images
July 2023
Our astrophoto of the month is a dramatic scene of emission nebulas NGC 6188 and NGC 6188 in the constellation Ara captured by astrophotographer Vikas Chander.
"Painted on the canvas of the night, are two dragons fighting each other on a portion of the sky known as the Altar, or the constellation of Ara". Chander told Space.com in an email.
The massive young stars embedded in the stellar scene formed only a few million years ago. Their stellar winds and intense ultraviolet radiation sculpt the "dragons" we see fighting in the sky and cause the nebulas to glow according to NASA.
Though NGC 6188 takes center stage, if you look toward the lower right, a rare emission nebula called NGC 6164 is visible. Its faint halo surrounds a bright central star.
Observatory: Deep Sky Chile
Date: April 20 to May 1 2023
Telescope: Takahashi E160ed
Camera: Zwo 6200mm pro
Mount: Software Bisque Paramount MX+
SII = 63 x 600s 10h 30m
Ha = 63 x 300s = 3hrs 55m
OIII = 63 x 600s 10h 30m
RGB = 10 x 60s each filter
Total integration = 24hrs55m
Software= NINA, PixInsight
"I have a particular fondness of this target and decided to image it in the classic Hubble palette, using filters that transmit light in the narrowband of SII, Ha and OIII," Chander wrote.
Chander used double the exposure time for the SII and OIII filters compared to the Ha emission as this was already very strong and required lower exposure times to achieve the desired signal-to-noise ratio.
"My fast Takahashi E160ed reflecting telescope with an aperture of 3.3 made short work of getting a large amount of exposure time" Chander continued. "A total of 25 hrs went into the imaging and I also used short RGB exposures for getting good star colours."
You can see more of Chander's work on his website www.vikaschander.com and Instagram @vikaschanderastrophotography
Do you have a space photo you'd like to share with us? Email photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
June 2023
Our astrophoto of the month is this stunning image of the new supernova SN 2023ixf in the Pinwheel Galaxy, also known as Messier 101 (M101), captured by astrophotographer R. Mark Lilienthal from Constance Bay, Ontario, Canada.
SN 2023ixf has been making headlines since it first burst into view on May 19, 2023, when supernova hunter Koichi Itagaki from Yamagata, Japan spotted a new bright spot in the Pinwheel Galaxy. The supernova was confirmed the following day by the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) in California.
— Sky-Watcher Equinox 80 Pro on iOptron CEM26 with ZWO ASIAir
— ZWO ASI533MC Pro (gain 100)
— Total of 75 x 60-sec lights, 10 darks
— Stacked and processed with AstroPixelProcessor
Lilienthal started astrophotography almost two years ago and in that time has upgraded his equipment and learned stacking and processing, using AstroPixelProcessor as the main workhorse.
"This past Christmas, I acquired a previously enjoyed Sky-Watcher Equinox 80ED Pro refractor but took another couple of months to buy the iOptron CEM26 mount," Lilienthal told Space.com in an email.
It took several attempts to get the perfect setup that produced the stunning image of the M101 supernova.
"Frustration with finding an elegant solution to drive all of this led me finally to acquire a previously enjoyed ZWO ASI533mc Pro camera, after which I went the last mile and bought a ZWO ASIAir to drive everything (and a ZWO ASI120mm guide camera). Of course, through most of this time, our weather here had been less than ideal for astrophotography!"
Lilienthal's "first light" image with this new setup was of M101 on May 14.
"Everything worked well…although I did only get about 45 minutes worth of subs. I was still quite proud — round, sharp stars and good detail in the galaxy's arms," Lilienthal wrote.
But as everyone who dabbles in astrophotography knows, things aren't always straightforward.
"With 22 May promising to be the next clear night, I was looking forward to getting another hour's worth or more of subs to add to the previous," Lilienthal wrote.
"I even resolved the meridian cross which had stopped me on the 14th. Of course, that wasn't to be. By May 22, SN2023ixf was shining in all its glory, the result of which I've shared."
"Suffice it to say that I was extremely pleased with the result."
Do you have a space photo you'd like to share with us? Email photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
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