Astrophoto: Milky Way from Onizuka Astronomy Center, Hawaii

By Nancy Atkinson - September 03, 2012 01:21 PM UTC | Milky Way

Here's a great view of the Milky Way from the Onizuka Astronomy Center on the Big Island of Hawaii by astronomical artist

Fahad Sulehria.

To reach the summit of Mauna Kea, where some of the biggest telescopes on Earth reside, visitors must stop at the Onizuka Center for acclimating to the high altitude. The summit is about 4,200 meters (13,796 feet), and the Onizuka Center is located about 2,740 meters (9,000 feet) above sea level. "The sky is much clearer and less polluted than most places on Earth, making it an ideal place to do stargazing," writes Sulehria. "In the background you see a red glow, which comes from the Halema'uma'u crater of the famous Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii."

Equipment: Canon 550D with 28-200 mm lens. Exposure: 31s @ ISO 1600/F3.5.

See more of Sulehria's work at his website,

Nova Celestia

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Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson

Nancy Atkinson is a space journalist and author with a passion for telling the stories of people involved in space exploration and astronomy. She is currently retired from daily writing, but worked at Universe Today for 20 years as a writer and editor. She also contributed articles to The Planetary Society, Ad Astra (National Space Society), New Scientist and many other online outlets.

Her 2019 book, "Eight Years to the Moon: The History of the Apollo Missions,” shares the untold stories of engineers and scientists who worked behind the scenes to make the Apollo program so successful, despite the daunting odds against it. Her first book “Incredible Stories From Space: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Missions Changing Our View of the Cosmos” (2016) tells the stories of 37 scientists and engineers that work on several current NASA robotic missions to explore the solar system and beyond.

Nancy is also a NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, and through this program, she has the opportunity to share her passion of space and astronomy with children and adults through presentations and programs. Nancy's personal website is nancyatkinson.com