A wide-field nightscape capturing the view from Helmos Observatory, perched at an altitude of 2,300 meters above sea level in the mountains of Greece. Mountains and settlements dot the foreground underneath the brightest portion of the Milky Way's galactic core, which illuminates the surrounding valleys and peaks.
The observatory resides in one of the darkest sites in Europe, a location specifically chosen for its pristine, unpolluted skies that allow for unparalleled views of the universe.
This image reveals the dense starfields, dark dust lanes, and glowing nebulae of the Sagittarius and Scorpius regions of our galaxy.
This image reveals the dense starfields, dark dust lanes, and glowing nebulae of the Sagittarius and Scorpius regions of our galaxy.
On a less cosmic note, the journey down involved navigating unlit, unpaved mountain roads in pure darkness—a logistical detail that I, perhaps, considered only after the fact.