Dark Sky Destinations

We run expert-led astrophotography courses in some of the UK's most spectacular dark-sky areas. 🌌📷🌒

[Will Gater @willgater]

Here's a view of the Rosette Nebula nestled within the rich star fields of the winter Milky Way. Towards the upper right are the Christmas Tree Cluster & the Cone Nebula, which sit at one end of an enormous tendril of dark nebulosity.

HQ version: https://t.co/Q6l4K7XbMV

[Will Gater @willgater]

Here's a deep view of the Pleiades star cluster that I captured from #Exmoor on Saturday night. A horseshoe-shaped swathe of faint reflection nebulosity can just be seen extending away from the cluster & on the right are several dark nebulae.

HQ version: https://t.co/Nz0aYa2Gne

[Will Gater @willgater]

Here's another comparison showing the dimming of #Betelgeuse - this time shot at 50mm focal length (and cropped in on Orion). At left is a shot from Jan 2019, right is the one from last night. Identical equipment/exposures/apertures etc.

HQ version here: https://t.co/V2PGbskgVI

[Will Gater @willgater]

Orion and Taurus rising in the frosty air last night.

(portrait shot, so you may need to click the pic on web Twitter to see it in full.)

HQ version at: https://t.co/zs98Nr7nhg

#astrophotography

[Will Gater @willgater]

Another view of the summer Milky Way over @ExmoorNP last night. [portrait pic so click/tap to embiggen!]

https://t.co/KPgIh8msgf

#astrophotography #MilkyWay #Exmoor

[Will Gater @willgater]

Unusually (for summer) transparent skies over @ExmoorNP last night afforded a magnificent view of the Milky Way & the Great Rift running through the stars of the Summer Triangle.

https://t.co/X0AGeePjAm

#astrophotography #Exmoor #darkskies #Devon #Somerset

[Will Gater @willgater]

The summer Milky Way rising during astronomical twilight over @ExmoorNP last night [click Twitter pic to embiggen portrait shot].

#Exmoor #astrophotography #darkskies

https://t.co/loVrZiLhnD

[Will Gater @willgater]

Happy #SomersetDay all! We're lucky enough to have some of the best dark-sky sites in the UK in the county - let's cherish and protect them! #Somerset #darkskies #astronomy

[Will Gater @willgater]

The path to the stars at Dunkery Beacon, @ExmoorNP. #Exmoor #darkskies #astronomy

[Will Gater @willgater]

The stars of Cassiopeia shining over the heart of @ExmoorNP last night. https://t.co/rr961OtGwY #Exmoor #darkskies #astrophotography

[Will Gater @willgater]

Orion over Exmoor National Park, UK. https://t.co/6CSfdAD0MV #Exmoor #darkskies #astrophotography

[Will Gater @willgater]

The elusive Zodiacal Light emerging out of the twilight glow over @ExmoorNP last night. https://t.co/28A5CQ93ii #Exmoor #darkskies #astronomy #astrophotography

[Dartmoor Skies @DartmoorSkies]

Stunning photo of Saturday's morning's waning crescent moon rising over a snowy Dartmoor.

[Will Gater @willgater]

The evening observing season for the Zodiacal Light is starting once again. Here's a shot of it from tonight taken from the top of the Quantock Hills in Somerset [click to embiggen the portrait pic]. https://t.co/k1bwTXtMgr #astrophotography #ZodiacalLight

[Will Gater @willgater]

The head of Taurus including the Hyades & Pleiades star clusters and the Taurus Molecular Cloud. https://t.co/Q1ze5Ld1vq #astrophotography #Exmoor

[Will Gater @willgater]

The winter constellations Orion & Taurus shining over a frost-covered @ExmoorNP last night (you might need to click to embiggen the portrait pic). https://t.co/rh7puUtkT9 #astrophotography #Exmoor #darkskies

[Will Gater @willgater]

As we're nearing the end of 2018 here's a collection of some of the celestial scenes that have caught my eye over the past year.
There's a 3000px-wide version on the homepage at https://t.co/4n3KJpbFmS #astrophotography

[Will Gater @willgater]

Comet #46P/#Wirtanen meeting the Pleiades star cluster in the moonlight last night. https://t.co/W4aEjdkVSE #astrophotography #comet

[Will Gater @willgater]

The Plough points the way to Ursa Minor and the Pole Star, Polaris. https://t.co/cPtHOeJENE #astrophotography #stargazing

[Will Gater @willgater]

The constellations Perseus & Cassiopeia rising over @ExmoorNP last night. Also shown are the Double Cluster, M33 & the Andromeda Galaxy. [click to embiggen the portrait pic on Twitter]. https://t.co/fde8lhXN43 #Exmoor #ExmoorDSF #darkskies #astrophotography