These are my images objects within our Solar System – other planets and the Moon. My image of Jupiter was shortlisted in the Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year Competition 2014.
Mars, 2020
2020’s Mars opposition was the best for many years. The planet reached over forty degrees in altitude. At the next opposition, in 2022, it will climb to 63 degrees, but Mars won’t be this close to Earth again (and therefore appear this large) until 2035. I took a series of pictures either side of the opposition, all at the same scale, showing how the planet changed in apparent size and the phase over seven weeks.
September to November 2020 at Crawley, Sussex. Celestron Skyris 618C colour camera; Celestron C11 Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope, configured with a focal length of 10.9 metres.
December 2018 at Shorwell, Isle of Wight. Nikon D7000 DSLR; TS 65mm quad refractor. 7 hours exposure.
Saturn, Five Years
A montage showing how Saturn’s tilt changes over the years as observed from Earth. I took these five pictures between 2011 and 2015.
Celestron Skyris 618C camera; Celestron C11 Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope.
Jupiter, thirty minutes
Another montage, this time demonstrating how fast Jupiter rotates. I took these images thirty minutes apart. They each include Jupiter moon’s Io and Ganymede. With this image, I was shortlisted for the Royal Observatory’s Astronomy Photographer of the Year Competition 2014.
Celestron Skyris 618C camera; Celestron C11 Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope.
Lunar Eclipse at Totality
At totality, the Moon is thousands of times dimmer than an uneclipsed moon. The sky darkens as the eclipse progresses and more stars become visible. With a telescope, stars are even discernible close-by; an area that would normally be swamped by the glare of the full moon.
21st January 2019 at Crawley, Sussex. Nikon D7000 DSLR; Meade 5000 127mm triplet refractor. 15 second exposure.
Lunar libration
The Moon is tidally locked to earth, meaning that the same side of the Moon always faces us. But our view can change slightly because the Moon’s orbit is elliptical. I took these two images at the same scale, but the apparent size of the Moon has changed significantly and some features on the right limb can only be seen in the right image.
2nd April 2017 and 25th November 2017 at Crawley, Sussex. Nikon D7000 DSLR; Meade 5000 127mm triplet refractor.
Crescent Moon, with earthshine
The Moon was only four days into its cycle when I took this photo. It was low in the sky and about to follow the setting sun. While the bright crescent is lit directly by the sun, the majority of the moon is lit by the sun’s light reflected from the earth. You can often see this earthshine when the moon is a thin crescent.
1st April 2025 at Apse Heath, Isle of Wight; ZWO ASI2600 camera; Meade 5000 127mm triplet refractor.
Gibbous Moon, in colour
I processed this image in colour to highlight the diverse mineral composition of the lunar maria, presenting itself as subtle shades of brown and blue. As the Moon approaches its full phase, the rays of bright ejecta thrown out by the larger craters during their formation become visible, particular across the maria. Astrophotography is a balance between science and art: images can reveal interesting detail but should still look appealing.
15th February 2019 at Crawley, Sussex. Nikon D7000 DSLR; Meade 5000 127mm triplet refractor. 1/160 second exposure.