Latest news with #MiguelClaro
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Stunning space photograph captures the majestic Andromeda Galaxy floating in a sea of faint, glowing nebulae
On a quiet hilltop in Portugal, beneath one of Europe's darkest skies, a photographer has captured more than just a galaxy. He's captured a dream, five years in the making. Miguel Claro , a renowned astrophotographer and science communicator based in Lisbon, has unveiled his latest cosmic masterpiece: a breathtaking deep-space portrait of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), surrounded by wisps of glowing red gas and a sea of stars. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Taken from the Dark Sky Alqueva Observatory in Cumeada, this image isn't just a scientific feat, it's a deeply personal journey through time, space, and passion. Started in 2020, achieved in 2025 — A dream that took five years Claro first attempted to photograph Andromeda enveloped in faint hydrogen clouds back in 2020, using a DSLR camera. "That image stayed with me," he reflects. "It whispered that there was more to be seen, more to be told." Inspired by recent scientific discoveries, including a newly identified oxygen-III (OIII) emission arc near Andromeda, Claro returned to the galaxy. This time, he came with new equipment, refined skills, and a vision shaped by years of experience. How do he photograph light invisible to the naked eye He spent 80 hours collecting light from the heavens, using a special dual-band filter to detect Ha and OIII emissions, ionised gases invisible to the naked eye. His goal was ambitious: to reveal not only Andromeda's famous spiral structure but also the delicate veil of glowing hydrogen gas surrounding it, and perhaps even the elusive OIII arc. Though the arc proved too faint for his current setup, the image still offers a profound glimpse into the galaxy's environment. OIII signals reveal potential planetary nebulae hidden within its arms. The result is a hauntingly beautiful celestial scene, a swirling galactic city glowing softly amidst clouds of cosmic mist, framed by stars of every colour. Image credits: Miguel Claro What makes this image more than just a scientific achievement What makes this project resonate isn't just the astronomical achievement, but the emotional undertone. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'This image is my way of connecting Earth and sky,' Claro says. 'Of showing that beauty exists far beyond our planet, and yet, it's deeply human to want to reach for it.' Claro's photograph, now available as fine art prints, is more than wall decor. It's a conversation starter, a reminder of the mysteries above, and a tribute to perseverance. Through trials, technical challenges, and long nights under cold skies, he has managed to turn scientific data into something poetic. His work not only bridges the gap between art and science, but also brings the cosmos a little closer to those of us who spend our nights looking up in wonder. 'I hope when people look at this image, they feel part of something vast and beautiful,' he says. 'Because we are.'
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Gorgeous deep space photo captures the Andromeda Galaxy surrounded by glowing gas
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Miguel Claro is a professional photographer, author and science communicator based in Lisbon, Portugal, who creates spectacular images of the night sky. As a European Southern Observatory Photo Ambassador and member of The World At Night and the official astrophotographer of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, he specializes in astronomical "Skyscapes" that connect both Earth and the night sky. Five years after my first attempt to capture the Andromeda Galaxy surrounded by faint hydrogen alpha (Ha) clouds taken with a DSLR camera back in 2020, and inspired by the recent discovery by Strottner-Drechsler-Sainty of the oxygen-III (OIII) emission arc, I decided to get back to M31 and try my luck. Spanning approximately 220,000 light-years across, the Andromeda Galaxy is the largest galaxy of the Local Group, which also contains the Milky Way, the Triangulum galaxy, and about 30 other smaller galaxies. I decided to present my final view of M31 in a little different way, framing with a rotation that could help direct our attention to the most interesting parts of the immersive scene, keeping in mind to preserve the natural level of brightness of the core. The image features a long integration of around 80 hours in HaOIII emission using a dual band filter, to show the colorful field of faint glowing ionized hydrogen gas where the galaxy seems to be immersed in. Despite these faint clouds, all the galaxy shape has a strong emission visible with Ha 3nm filter. The large-scale cloud formations visible in the foreground belong to our own Milky Way galaxy, as do the several distinct colorful stars which surround the diffuse spiral shape of M31. While its spiral arms stand out in visible light, the arms look like rings when viewed in ultraviolet light. Being sites of intense star formation, the rings have been interpreted as evidence that Andromeda collided with its smaller neighboring elliptical galaxy M32 more than 200 million years ago. RELATED STORIES: — Geminid meteor shower fills the sky with 'shooting stars' in spectacular time-lapse photos — Astrophotographer captures a 'Great Dragon' in the Pelican Nebula (photo) — Stunning space photo captures bright blue shock wave around double star system Even with all my efforts and challenges along the way, 80 hours where not enough to achieve the demanding level of good data needed for revealing the faint OIII arc, specially difficult in One Shot Color (OSC) cameras, so after analyzing the data with the help of my experienced friend Yann Saint, I took the decision of not include the OIII data on the arc for being insufficient to reveal the proper expected shape and detail. Still, the OIII signal included and visible in the arms of M31 could reveal dozens of planetary nebulas. I hope you enjoy my result. The image was captured from Dark Sky Alqueva Observatory, in Cumeada, Portugal. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and if you want to support my work as an independent artist, you can buy one of my images as a print and a piece of art or a wall decor for your sweet home! Explore the size options and different types available on my Print gallery. Meanwhile, you can sign-up my newsletter to get early access of future releases.
