A beautiful sunset over the Los Angeles skyline, taken last December:

This is the Jellyfish Nebula in SHO narrowband, alongside some neighboring nebulas such as Sh2-249:

Welcome to 2025! Here is an album from last summer, when I traveled to the Northern California and Southern Oregon border. I visited Crater Lake National Park for the first time:

Next came the wildlife at Lava Beds National Monument, an unexpected suprise:

And finally, even in the heat of summer, the high-altitude lakes and peaks of Lassen Volcanic National Park gave some welcome respite:

Never have I been compelled to capture so many panoramas as when I visited Utah this November. Everywhere you look are wide, sweeping landscapes, like this nearly-180° view of the hoodoos at Park Avenue in Arches National Park:

And at Chesler Park in Canyonlands National Park, you are surrounded on all sides by the aptly-named Needles District:

But you need not go far from the city to find a picturesque panorama in Utah. A mere five minutes from downtown Salt Lake City is Ensign Peak, where after a short hike, you are rewarded with a beautiful sunset:

Also known as the Pleiades, Subaru, Messier 45:

I took a return trip to Norway this September to chase the auroras. This time, I was in Tromso, a city on the northern coast of Norway that’s within the Arctic Circle, and a prime aurora viewing location. While the weather wasn’t fully cooperative at times, I can confidently say it was a success!

Aside from auroras, Tromso has breathtaking natural landscapes everywhere you go, such as this panoramic view from Ornfloya:

One place I revisited was Bergen, a beautiful coastal city with some beautiful sunsets:

This trip has fully cemented Norway in my mind as one of the most scenic places in the world. Until next time, ha det bra!

Nothing like spending warm summer nights contemplating the majesty of the skies above.

Elephant Trunk Nebula (IC 1396) in SHO narrowband:

Bubble Nebula (NGC 7635) in HOS narrowband:

Trifid Nebula (Messier 20) in HSO narrowband:

Veil Nebula (NGC 6960) in OSH narrowband:

Perseids Meteor Shower:

Crater Lake and the Milky Way:

In which a voyage to Seattle

Reveals a cornucopia of chrominance

And precedes a trip to Denver

Where night dazzles with iridescence

With "galaxy season" underway in the Northern Hemisphere, I thought I’d shine a spotlight on two pairs of galaxy pairs. First up, the Whirlpool Galaxy, or Messier 51a, along with its companion dwarf galaxy Messier 51b:

Next, Bode’s Galaxy (Messier 81) and the Cigar Galaxy (Messier 82):

As with many galaxy images, there are lots of other smaller or more distant galaxies within view. How many of these galactic photobombers can you find?

This past autumn, I ventured to two places on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean in a quest for spectacular scenery and colorful autumn foliage. One trip was to Alaska, my first time there. The fall colors season in Alaska is apparently very brief compared to other places, lasting only about 1-2 weeks. While it was not a primary objective of the trip, I was luckily able to catch the tail end of the fall colors around Anchorage.

And speaking of luck, I was extremely fortunate to be able to see the Northern Lights for the first time! Witnessing such a beautiful dance play out in the night sky is an experience I’d never forget.

My next trip was a return visit to Japan, this time to the Tokyo and Mount Fuji regions, as compared to the Kansai region back all the way back in the spring of 2014. Just like last time, I immediately fell in love with its welcoming people, delicious food, and beautiful architecture:

Yes, Tokyo can be extremely crowded at times, such as when trying to navigate the inexorable currents of people in a train station during peak hours, but even the barely-contained chaos of the metropolis is awe-inspiring, as if it were a living, breathing organism. That said, it was nice to take a breather to the (slightly) less crowded parts of Japan around Mount Fuji. And when you see Mount Fuji for the first time, especially in such close proximity, it’s easy to see why the mountain plays such a central role in Japanese culture.

The seasons also feature prominently in Japanese culture, and autumn is no exception, with beautiful maple and ginko trees turning entire forests and hillsides into a kaleidoscope of colors.

Yes, I admit I may have gone a bit overboard uploading three albums for Alaska, and six for Japan, but these are images and moments that will stay with me forever. I hope you enjoy them!