Star Gazing is an experience I recommend to everyone.
Who had never seen these beautiful Milky Way galaxies, shooting stars, and Magellanic Clouds? It is a magical view.
Unfortunately, because of air pollution, stargazing is not easy to do. First, you have to be in the right place, then it has to be at the right time, and the weather must be just right.
I always wanted to do stargazing, not only to see and appreciate it but to photograph it. So, it seems that New Zealand has all these conditions possible, and I had the most spectacular experience last weekend learning how to photograph.
“Stargazing is not just about looking up at the stars, it’s about looking within ourselves and finding our connection to the larger universe.”
― Ajaz Ahmad Khawaja
Star Gazing in New Zealand
New Zealand is a delight for stargazing, especially on the South Island. Down here, getting away from cities and finding isolated areas with no air pollution is easy. The skies are pristine and perfect to photograph, or just lay back and enjoy viewing the stars.
This is not a coincidence that Tekapo is part of the UNESCO Dark Sky Project. It is the largest project in the world and has a gold star status.
I have had these experiences so far in Stewart-Island, Takapo-Lake,The-Catlins, and Kura-Tawhiti. But there are more places like Queenstown, Coromandel Peninsula, Wellington, and Aoraki MacKenzie.
Lake Tekapo Star Gazing
You can join tours or groups to check the stars, I went with a group of photographers, this way I could not only appreciate the right places to watch the skies but also learn how to take these amazing pictures.
We spend three nights in April, right after Easter. In this period, the Orion sits in the northwestern sky, and the Southern Cross is high overhead. So we can see the Milky Way with a prominent constellation, Scorpius, easily visible above the horizon.
I was told to photograph the brightest parts of the Milky Way as it rises above the horizon from February to July. However, stargazing in Tekapo is great all year round.
The celestial skies are in contact, so taking a perfect, bright, and totally focused start is difficult.
The first night I couldn’t focus on my camera and only the next day I did find the right setting for my camera. My second day was incredible. I was very happy with the results. We had some bad weather on the last day, but I still took amazing shots.
In New Zealand, the stars symbolize the coming of the Maori New Year. The group of seven starts in early June, known as the Pleiades, and is celebrated with Matariki.
I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I did taking them. I highly recommend Star gazing in Lake Tekapo. If it’s not for photography, at least you can relax under this amazing sky.
“The stars are a reminder that we are all part of something bigger, a cosmic tapestry weaving together the threads of the universe.”
― Ajaz Ahmad Khawaja
Thank you for reading🎇
