Astronomy Student Silhouetted by Milky Way, Jupiter in Stunning Photo

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An astrophotography student stands before the Milky Way galaxy and the bright planet Jupiter during an astrophotography workshop in Campinho, Portugal, on May 5, 2019.  (Image credit: Miguel Claro)

Miguel Claro is a professional photographer, author and science communicator based in Lisbon, Portugal, who creates spectacular images of the night sky. As a European Southern Observatory photo ambassador, a member of The World At Night and the official astrophotographer of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, he specializes in astronomical "skyscapes" that connect Earth and the night sky. Join him here as he takes us through his photograph "Sharing Knowledge and Learning Is One of the Best Pleasures in the World."

Sharing knowledge and learning to do something we love are some of the best pleasures in the world! This image features the silhouette of one of my students during an astrophotography workshop I taught this summer in the village of Campinho, Portugal, which is located in the award-winning Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve. 

As he stands against the backdrop of the Milky Way galaxy's dusty core, the giant planet Jupiter appears as a big, white light that shines brightly near the galaxy's edge. 

Jupiter reached opposition — a point in a planet's orbit where it is directly opposite the sun in the sky — in June. During this planetary alignment, Jupiter shines brighter than usual as seen from Earth, because the giant planet's entire Earth-facing side is illuminated by sunlight. 

Related: NASA's Juno Mission Checks Out Epic Io Eclipse on Jupiter

A close-up view of Jupiter, taken one week after the planet reached opposition in June 2019, reveals detailed cloud bands — and Jupiter's moon Europa! (Image credit: Miguel Claro)

Above is a close-up view of the planet Jupiter as seen on June 17, or about one week after Jupiter's opposition. The photo reveals a yellowish strip and other, smaller details in Jupiter's cloud bands, as well as Jupiter's moon Europa, which is visible on the left. 

I captured this image from the Cumeada Observatory, headquarters of Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, using a Meade LX200 ACF telescope with a ZWO ASI224MC camera. For more details about how I captured this image, or to buy a print, you can view it on my website here.

Editor's note: If you have an amazing night-sky photo you'd like to share with us and our news partners for a possible story or image gallery, please contact managing editor Tariq Malik at spacephotos@space.com.

To get a print of Claro's amazing astrophotography, visit his fine-art prints store at www.miguelclaro.com/prints. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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Miguel Claro
Miguel Claro is a professional photographer, author and science communicator based in Lisbon, Portugal, who creates spectacular images of the night sky. As a European Southern Observatory photo ambassador, a member of The World At Night and the official astrophotographer of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, he specializes in astronomical skyscapes that connect Earth and the night sky.