Aotearoa Astrophotography

07/03/2026

Northern star party dates announced ....

We are excited to announce the dates for the Northern Star Party for 2026 to held at Waharau Regional Park and hosted by the Auckland Astronomical Society. We are holding the event over the nights of Friday 18th and Saturday 18th of April. Packing up on the morning of Sunday the 19th.

03/03/2026

Astronz are live streaming tonight's Lunar eclipse from Aotearoa check it out ..

Join us for a live stream of the Total Lunar Eclipse from Astronz in Torbay, Auckland, New Zealand. Partial Eclipse begins at 3 Mar 10:50pm NZDT (UTC+13) ...

30/10/2025

Excited to share this year’s shortlist video featuring some of the most incredible night-sky photos from across Aotearoa.

🎥 Watch the shortlist video here:

👉 https://youtu.be/UQJKgK--d_M

You can also vote for your favourite image in the People’s Choice category at nzastrocompetition.com.

🏆 Winners will be announced at the Burbidge Dinner on November 1st, hosted by the Auckland Astronomical Society.

And a huge thank you to Amit Ashok Kamble for organizing this years competition!

Here are the shortlisted photos for this year’s New Zealand Astrophotography Competition! 🌌These amazing images show the beauty of Aotearoa’s night sky and ...

23/01/2025

Finally managed to capture Comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS from Auckland after a few failed attempts due to clouds.

Canon 6d 20 sec exposure through a Canon 100 mm lens at f/3.2

Tracked using a Vixen Polarie star tracker.

Taken from the Muriwai clifftops on Auckland's wild and windy west coast.

Image Credit: Jonathan Green

21/10/2024

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) with Venus captured in the twilight after sunset out in the wild and windy west coast of Auckland. (from the Te Henga walking track which has recently re-opened)

Last night (21/10/2024) I decided to go with a simple shot this is just a 20 sec shot ( no tracking ) with my Canon 6d through a 28 mm lens at f/3.2 using ISO1600.

As is the usual situation it was wild and windy out west so sadly some of the foreground vegetation is blurred from movement in the wind.

But overall I'm very happy with this shot, I love the colours on the horizon and the scene was magical to the eye, I enjoyed binocular views of the comet and could just make out the comet naked eye using averted vision.

The comet is becoming much fainter as it moves out of the inner solar system so you will probably need binoculars or a telescope to see it moving forwards.

Image credit: Jonathan Green

20/10/2024

2 views of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) captured on the evening of 20/10/2024 from Te Henga (Bethells Beach) note the subtle bioluminescence in the water.

The comet is becoming fainter as it heads out of the inner solar system on it's retrograde orbit which is thought to be at least 80,000 years long!

I wonder if our species will still be around when this comet returns in the far future. 🤔

Both images captured with a Canon 6d through a 50 mm lens with one minute exposures.

Image credit: Jonathan Green

19/10/2024

05/10/2024

A book commemorating the huge Aurora of 11th-12th of May 2024 is being published. ( includes one of my images )

"Aurora Australis Aotearoa is a collection of more than 200 photographs from across New Zealand, from Kaitaia to Stewart Island, taken during an historic G5 Geomagnetic Storm on 11th and 12th May 2024. More than 180 photographers share their experience of the Southern Lights captured during this once-in-a-lifetime event."

If you'd like to order the book for yourself, they're available here:

Pre-orders open 4 October 2024. This item is not eligible for free shipping. Aurora Australis Aotearoa is a collection of more than 200 photographs from across New Zealand, from Kaitaia to Stewart Island, taken during an historic G5 Geomagnetic Storm on 11th and 12th May 2024. More than 180 photogra...

30/09/2024

Crop of the last shot I took before heading home, taken with a 200 mm lens.