Celestial Events

17/01/2025

RED MIST

Here in the southern hemisphere, we are graced with some of the finest deep sky objects in the sky, none more so than the mighty Carina Nebula.

This fiery cauldron of star formation is visible to the naked eye as a glowing dust cloud nestled in the southern Milky Way, close to the Diamond Cross asterism.

Within its midst, lies Eta Carina, one of the most luminous stars in our galaxy, over 4 million times brighter than the Sun. Its energy can be seen in the white triangle of light next to the keyhole nebula, the gaseous surrounds reflecting its starlight.

Despite its brightness, it is only just visible to the naked eye, thanks to being 7500 light years away and enshrouded in hydrogen gas. It is one of the stars most likely to go supernova in the near future (astronomically speaking!)

This image represents one of my most challenging projects to date - a 12 panel mosaic, spanning 100s of light years, totalling around 6 hours of exposure.

ZWO 533MC & AM5 Mount
William Optics GT71
Optolong L-Extreme filter

13/01/2025

The Pleiades star cluster, more commonly known as the 7 Sisters, sparkles high in the sky during the southern hemisphere summer. 🌌

It is probably the most culturally significant object in the night sky!

Find out more in our latest article in the Kruger to Canyon news 🤓.

Or book a Night Sky Safari with us and see it in all its glory with our amazing telescope equipment from ZWO 🔭🔭

https://kruger2canyon.co.za/the-seven-sisters/

11/01/2025

Contact us for all your astrotourism requirements 🌌🔭

* Night Sky Safaris
* Guide Training
* Astrophotography
* Virtual Stargazing
* Equipment Advice
* Astrotourism Consulting

email: [email protected]
website: www.celestialeventssa.com

08/01/2025

Really excited to head to Naka Lodge in Feb for a Valentine's weekend astronomy extravaganza! 🔭🔭🌌

Come and immerse yourself in African cultural starlore, witness incredible cosmic wonders through our fleet of telescopes, and learn how to take stunning photos of the night sky 📸😱

Contact Naka Lodge directly to book your spot today!

04/01/2025

2024 was an amazing imaging year!

It's hard to know where to start... I photographed the Southern Aurora from the Aoraki-Mackensie dark sky reserve in New Zealand, and the Northern Lights from the south east coast of England!

I captured the Milky Way galaxy from NZ, the Arabian Desert, and the African bushveld, snapped the brightest comet seen from Earth in decades, and imaged deep sky objects millions of light years away from our new stardeck 😱🔭📸

I was also able to add some incredible new equipment to my imaging arsenal, including Sony's amazing A7Riii and 20mm f1.8 lens, and ZWO's remarkable AM5 mount. 🔭

Astrophotography has a steep learning curve but there are few more humbling and awe-inspiring ways to reconnect with nature! 😍🌌

If you'd like to learn more about astrophotography, contact us at [email protected] and inquire about our AP courses! 📸

31/12/2024

ORION

Orion takes centre stage in the southern hemisphere skies over summer. 🌌

Universally known as the great hunter from Greek mythology, its origins stem much further back. In Mesopotamian times, this iconic constellation was seen as the mighty Urak king, Gilgamesh. 🫅

The Egyptians considered it to be Osiris, lord of the afterlife, whilst here in Africa, the belt stars represent 3 warthogs or 3 zebras. 🦓🐷

Orion is the most culturally rich constellation in the sky and contains a multitude of magnificent deep sky objects visible with amateur equipment.

Join us on a Night Sky Safari and delve into its fascinating history and mythology. 🔭🔭

Contact us on [email protected] or visit our website at www.celestialeventssa.com for more information!

26/12/2024

The clouds have been rife of late but I was able to manage 30mins of exposure of the glorious Tarantula Nebula the other day.

What an amazing experience to image stars forming in a neighbouring galaxy, 170 thousand light years away!

This nebula, along with many other deep sky gems, is a showstopper of our Night Sky Safaris.

Contact us on [email protected] to book your own personal tour of the cosmos. Regardless of the time of the year, there are countless incredible objects to witness!

William Optics GT71
ZWO AM5
ZWO 533MC
Optolong L-Extreme filter
AsiAir Plus
10 x 180s

23/12/2024

SKYGLOW

The last rays of sunset over Mabula blend into a starry summer sky, with Venus peeking through the clouds.

Taken on location with WildEarthTV

19/12/2024

A night under the stars with guides and guests at Laluka Safari Lodge in Welgevonden.

Our Night Sky Safaris focus on African starlore and constellation mythology, as well as exploring the cosmos through our fleet of telescopes.

We also offer training to guides to help navigate, identify and understand the cosmos, promoting a holistic and connective experience for guests that they will never forget.

Contact us to learn and experience more about the ultimate connection with nature 🌌🌌

Sony A7iiiR

www.celestialeventssa.com
[email protected]

15/12/2024

PRETTY IN PINK

A live screenshot of the Great Orion Nebula from one of our recent Night Sky Safaris.

Contact us on [email protected] to book your very own astronomical experience! Learn more about cultural starlore and enjoy incredible views of this, and other remarkable cosmic sights 🔭🌌

ZWO533MC
ZWO AM5 mount
William Optics GT71

10/12/2024

HUNTER

The great constellation of Orion rising above one of the dams on Mabula game reserve whilst on location for WildEarthTV. Ta**us and 7 Sisters are obscured by the silhouetted tree, but Jupiter can be seen shining brightly under the branches. 🌌🌌

No constellation has more cultural mythology than Orion. The Mesopotamians associated it with Gilgamesh, the Greeks saw a great hunter, and Egyptians depicted Osiris, lord of the afterlife.

It also contains some incredible deep sky objects that I look forward to photographing over the coming months, including the Orion, Horsehead, and Witch-head nebulae 📸🔭

Crossing fingers for some clear skies and less humid conditions 🤞

Sony A7Riii

03/12/2024

THE CORE

A multi pane panorama taken from Shamwari private game showing the milky Ways core and the vast expanse of our galactic arms.

We have bid farewell to the core of the galaxy for now, but it has been replaced by the iconic summer constellations of Orion, Canis Major, Ta**us, and of course, the Magellanic Clouds in the south.

Looking forward to showcasing these in the coming months!

Don't forget, if you'd like to learn more about these constellations, stars and their mythology, contact us to book your own Night Sky Safari 🌌🌌🪐

[email protected]
www.celestialeventssa.com

Sony A7Riii

24/11/2024

Comet C/2023 Tsuchinshan-Atlas is disappearing from our skies as it continues its epic journey back to the far reaches of the solar system. Only another 80,000 years or so until we welcome it back 😱🙈☄️

Photo taken from Blyde Wildlife Estate with

ZWO AM5 harmonic mount
William Optics GT71
ZWO 533MC

19/11/2024

THE EYE OF SAURON 👁️

The Helix Nebula in Aquarius is one of the closest Planetary Nebulae to Earth.

Its ocular features are formed by the atmosphere of a dying star bleeding off into space, leaving behind a White Dwarf, the star's scolded core, at its centre.

This dramatic object is a precursor of the fate that will befall our Sun in a few billion years' time after it has exhausted its fuel supply.

This image, totalling around 7 hours of data, was captured from South Africa over the course of 3 nights.

ZWO 533MC
ZWO AM5 harmonic mount
Optolong L-Extreme filter

16/11/2024

Our latest article on the birth of stars in the Kruger2Canyon News

Each and every night, our planet is bathed in starlight; an eternal vigil held by the countless members of our galactic community. But it is easy to forget that our Sun is just one of many... The Milky Way is thought to contain up to 400 billion stars, yet within the cosmic web of our Universe, ther...

15/11/2024

DREAMSCAPE

An 8 pane mosaic from the dam at Blyde Wildlife Estate showing the setting Milky Way and one of our dwarf galaxies, the Small Magellanic Cloud, on the far left.

Sony A7iiiR

10/11/2024

The Moon and Venus descend towards the tranquil waters of Blyde Wildlife Estate as the Milky Way watches on 🌌🌔

Sony A7Riii