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They say " a picture is worth a thousand words "

Korean Penninsula at night, with shameless south polluters (note the illuminated sea)

The World at Night finds beauty in darkness and light

Light pollution never looked so good: The World at Night's annual photography contest highlights the beauties of the night sky, but it also highlights the challenges posed by humanity's efforts to light up the night.

This year's winners reveal how artificial lighting can add another dimension to the natural wonders of the stars and planets — or spoil the view forever. Hundreds of pictures were sent in from about 50 countries, including exotic locales such as the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia, the national parks of Reunion Island and the savannas of South Africa, said Babak Tafreshi, the founder and leader of The World at Night. "We received a lot of submissions from Asian countries this year, especially China, India, Iran and Indonesia," the Iranian-born astrophotographer said in an email exchange.

He said the message of The World at Night is definitely getting out: "In general, it looks as if TWAN's aim of reclaiming the natural beauty of the night sky and promoting nightscape photography is reaching a growing audience worldwide, while the activities by amateur and professional astronomers and environmentalists to increase awareness on the light pollution issue is truly getting a lot of public attention."

This year's contest is limited to images taken since the beginning of 2011, but that leaves a lot to choose from — including pictures of Comet Lovejoy, the spectacular "Christmas Comet" that wowed skywatchers in the southern hemisphere, as well as the stunning auroral images that have cropped up over the past few months. Both those phenomena are represented in today's top-10 roundup from TWAN.

Tafreshi drew attention to two potential perils facing astrophotographers nowadays: light pollution and photo fakery. He noted that the increasing glare of city lights was "not just an astronomer's problem," but also "a major waste of energy, and like any other form of pollution, it disrupts ecosystems and has adverse health effects."

"Today, most city skies are virtually empty of stars," he said in his email. "About two-thirds of the human population today lives under light-polluted skies, not dark enough to see the Milky Way. Seeing a real dark sky is a must-see experience in the life of each of us, moments that you will not forget in your entire life."

Tafreshi also said there's a fast-rising concern about images that may not be telling the truth about the earth and sky.

"Unfortunately, a majority of photographers who are interested in nightscape photography are less familiar with astronomy, and the natural look and color of the night sky," he said. "So many landscape astrophotos today are intensely saturated, unnaturally contrasted, and sometimes with totally wrong colors of the sky. We had stunning compositions and amazing landscapes at night, some made by famous photographers, which were ruled out of the contest simply because they were 'overcooked' in processing."

You can rely on TWAN's prize-winning pictures to show the true glories of the night sky, along with the glow of the world below. Check out our slideshow, and read more of Tafreshi's observations in the comment space below.

Source
http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/11/11662164-the-world-at-night-finds-beauty-in-darkness-and-light?chromedomain=cosmiclog&lite

Babak A. Tafreshi   



TWAN founder and leader, Babak Tafreshi is a science journalist, photographer, and astronomy communicator using all media. Born in 1978 in Tehran he lives in Germany but could be anywhere on the planet, from the Sahara to the Himalayas or Antarctica. He is a board member of Astronomers Without Borders organization, a photo ambassador for the European Southern Observatory (ESO), and contributing photographer at Sky&Telescope; a world's leading astronomy magazine. He received the 2009 Lennart Nilsson Award, the world’s most recognized award for scientific photography, for his global contribution to night sky photography. Since TWAN was designated as the first Special Project of International Year of Astronomy 2009, Tafreshi cooperated with the International Astronomical Union and UNESCO as a project coordinator for IYA2009. As a science journalist he has contributed to many television and radio programs on astronomy and has interviewed world-renowned astronomers and space scientists. He was editor of the Iranian astronomy magazine (Nojum) for a decade and has been a board member of the Astronomical Society of Iran's outreach committee were he directed many national astronomy events.

Started the photography of the night sky above natural landscapes and historic architecture in the 1990s, he has always been fascinated by the universality of the night sky; the same sky appearing above different landmarks of the world. He connects with world-wide astronomy community through science journalism and his presentations and workshops. Photography, science stories, and eclipse chasing has taken him to all of the continents. On the Facebook

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Source
http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photographers_about.asp?photographer=Babak%20A.%20Tafreshi

Gallery


Stars trail around the north celestial pole (with Polaris or the North Star near the center) as photographed from inside Roodafshan cave in Alborz Mountains of Iran. With a magnificent entrance hall of 168 m length, 94 m width and 40 m high it is the biggest known cave chamber in Iran. Amir Abolfath - Torgheh.ir/en Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3002849&Sort=Country


This panoramic view is made in a clear moonlit night of November above Mount Gargash in Zagros mountains of Iran, about 100 km north of Isfahan. This 3600-meter high mountain has exceptional seeing and atmospheric transparency for astronomical observations is selected as the site for Iran National Observatory project (a 3-meter class telescope to operate by 2015). The first quarter moon is illuminating the landscape. To its right is the setting summer Milky Way. Click on the star-pattern icon above the image to see a day-time view of the photographer in this area. Oshin Zakarian/Dreamview.net Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3003148&Sort=Country


Semnan - Iran A sky photographer enjoys a starry winter night. Bright stars of Orion (middle), Canis Major (bottom), Taurus (upper right), and Auriga (top left), and the band of the Milky Way are captured in this view. The brightest star in the field is Sirius (Alpha Canis Majoris) which is the brightest star in the entire night sky. Babak Tafreshi/Dreamview.net Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3003163&Sort=Country


The Milky Way and the majestic planet Jupiter shine above the tomb of Cyrus in Pasargadae; a 2500-year old World Heritage Site in southern Iran. Pasargadae was the first capital of the Achaemenid Empire, the capital of Cyrus the Great (600-530 BC) and also his last resting place. At the height of its power, the Achaemenid Empire encompassed spanned three continents, as far west as Libya to nearly all Middle East, and to Central Asia. Cyrus left an everlasting legacy on leadership as he respected the customs and religions of the lands he conquered. He attributed his success to "Diversity in counsel, unity in command." Babak Tafreshi/Dreamview.net Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3002140&Sort=Country


In a time exposure image, stars trail above the ruins of Persepolis, a 2500-year old World Heritage Site of ancient Persian palaces and temples near Shiraz in southern Iran. Persepolis was the ceremonial capital of the Persian Empire during the Achaemenid dynasty. To the ancient Persians, the city was known as Pārsa, which means "The City of Persians". Persepolis is the Greek interpretation of the name which means Persian city. At the height of its power, the Achaemenid Empire encompassed about 7.7 million square kilometers and spanned three continents, as far west as Libya to nearly all Middle East, and to Central Asia. Photographed in this picture is the Apadana Palace. Darius, the king of kings, built the most glorious palace at Persepolis for official audiences. The palace had 72 columns, each 19 meters high. The glory of Persepolis ended with invasion of Alexander's army in 330 BC through the Royal Road of Persian Empire. After several months of stay in the Persian City, Alexander allowed his troops to loot and burn Persepolis. Babak Tafreshi/Dreamview.net  Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3002128&Sort=Country


The constellation Orion, the Hunter, rises above the ruins of Persepolis, a 2500-year old World Heritage Site of ancient Persian palaces and temples near Shiraz in southern Iran. Oshin Zakarian/Dreamview.net. Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3001994&Sort=Country


Stars of constellation Orion trail in this long multi-exposure image as they rise over a historic mosque in Isfahan. Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque is one of the architectural masterpieces of Iranian architecture (completed in 1618), located in the World Heritage Naqsh-e Jahan square (meaning "Picture of the World"). Amir Abolfath - Torgheh.ir/en  Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3003267&Sort=Country


The Milky Way in the constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius is captured above a caravansary in Izadkhast, an ancient city in Fars province of southern Iran. Caravansary (the home for caravans in Persian) is an old time roadside inn, a place for travelers to rest and recover from the day's journey. While today they are mostly turned to museums and historic reserved monuments, in old time Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information, and people across the network of trade routes covering Asia, North Africa, and South-Eastern Europe. Amir Abolfath - Torgheh.ir/en Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3003075&Sort=Country


Stars circle around the North Celestial Pole (near star Polaris) as captured in this digital image from the historic Caravansary of Qusheh near the city of Damghan, Iran. This desert caravansary was built on the Silk Road, right outside the wall of an ancient city known as Qumis which is now buried under the desert. Amir Abolfath - Torgheh.ir/en  Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3003074&Sort=Country


In a winter moonlit night of central Iran northern stars circle around the north celestial pole above remains of a historic caravansary near Natanz. Caravansary (an old Persian word) is an old time roadside inn, a place for travelers to rest and recover from the day's journey. While today they are mostly turned to museums and historic reserved monuments, in old time Caravanserais supported the flow of commerce, information, and people across the network of trade routes covering Asia, North Africa, and South-Eastern Europe. Amir Abolfath - Torgheh.ir/en  Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3002652&Sort=Country


With the morning twilight begins to appear in this winter night the Hubble Space Telescope crosses the sky and leaves a faint trail. An Iridium Flare is also captured (middle top) as well as a streaking meteor (right) and stars trails over the western horizon. Click on the constellation icon above the image to see the meteor in a single exposure image as appeared above bright star Capella. The picturesque foreground mountain is Damavand, the highest mountain in the Middle East (5610 m) located in Alborz Mountains of Iran. This spectacular volcano is highlighted in the Persian culture and legends. The light of capital Tehran is visible on the left, as well as a mountain road that connects Tehran to the Caspian Sea. Babak Tafreshi/Dreamview.net  Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3003131&Sort=Country


As discussed in the July 2010 TWAN Mystery and explained in the SpaceWeather website this mysterious fan shaped bright cloud appeared in a clear evening of June 2007 above Alborz Mountains of Iran. The photographer had never seen a similar phenomenon before. The object started out patchy, shapeless and dim but it quickly brightened and formed a blue-tinted cone with a bright nose. The cloud raced across the sky moving about 20 degrees per minute. In this image the two bright stars in the middle are Castor and Pollux in Gemini, while dazzling planet Venus is on the upper left in conjunction with the Beehive or M44 star cluster in Cancer. The mystery was caused by the launch of Atlas V rocket. On 2007 June 15 sky watchers in the Middle East witnessed this cloud. On that very day an Atlas V rocket launched from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Its payload was a pair of ocean surveillance satellites. Due to the rocket failure the satellites were deployed into a wrong orbit. When the rocket's Centaur upper stage vented excess fuel, the cloud shaped above the atmosphere and by reflecting sunlight it was visible in the early evening sky of the Middle East. The dumping of excess fuel is standard practice for Centaur-boosted launches. Babak Tafreshi/Dreamview.net  Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3002823&Sort=Country


The night sky has amazed human through the history. Even our early ancestors, the prehistoric cavemen, have been touched by the stars and some of the very first mythical imagination and legends might be created based on the unreachable starry sky. There are signs that the constellation Ursa Major (the Big Bear), notable in this view with the bright seven stars, was among the first created star figures in the mankind imagination. Click on the black star pattern icon above the image to locate the area of Ursa Major and Ursa Minor and to view the illustration figures of two celestial bears. This photograph is made in a moonlit night from inside the Roodafshan cave in Alborz Mountains of Iran. With a magnificent entrance hall of 168 m length, 94 m width and 40 m high it is the biggest known cave chamber in Iran. Babak Tafreshi/Dreamview.net  Source: http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/photos.asp?ID=3001919&Sort=Country