Stunning Astrophotos: Kilimanjaro at Night

You might find yourself humming Paul Simon’s “Under African Skies” after seeing these stunning images! The World At Night photographer Babak Tafreshi has just returned from a trip to Kenya and has amassed a gorgeous collection of astrophotography showing Mt. Kilimanjaro by night (and some in the day, as well). Below you can see a panoramic view of Kilimanjaro in the moonlight, flanked by giraffes (can you spot the zebra, too?) and starry skies.

“His path was marked by the stars in the southern hemisphere
and he walked his days under African skies…”

 Giraffes and acacia trees against the spectacular moonlit backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, as seen from Amboseli National Park, Kenya. The head of a zebra is also visible on the left. The main peak of Kilimanjaro is Kibo that reaches 5,895 m (19,341 ft). The smaller peak is Mawenzi at 5,149 m (16,893 ft) and meaning the moon in Swahili. Credit and copyright: Babak A. Tafreshi.
Giraffes and acacia trees against the spectacular moonlit backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro, as seen from Amboseli National Park, Kenya. The head of a zebra is also visible on the left. The main peak of Kilimanjaro is Kibo that reaches 5,895 m (19,341 ft). The smaller peak is Mawenzi at 5,149 m (16,893 ft) and meaning the moon in Swahili. Credit and copyright: Babak A. Tafreshi.

See more great images from Babak’s trip at the Dream Views website here.

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5 Replies to “Stunning Astrophotos: Kilimanjaro at Night”

    1. If you have a Newtonian telescope with a secondary mirror, it is usual to suspend it from two sets of wires. Diffraction off these wires probably gives the cross on the stars you see here. It is possible to digitally filter out this artefact, but it is probably on the recorded image.

      1. I have Newtonian telescopes (8″ and 12″) and I know what diffraction spikes are, but to add them in photo with software or with wires in front of lens is lame thing in my book.

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