Uploaded March 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
When you think about pictures of objects in space, you might think of legendary telescopes like Hubble or famous spacecraft like Voyager. It’s true that scientists rely heavily on imaging from telescopes and spacecraft, but astrophotographers are advancing imaging technology and providing us with amazing pictures of nebulas, clusters, planets, and more! This week, AVFE talks with one astrophotographer about technology, travel, and the intricacies of getting a good night sky photo.
Chris Scherpenseel was born and raised in Colorado. At the age of 14, he traveled to New Zealand to live with his father. Seeing the natural beauty of another country sparked his interest in travel and photography. While attending the University of Colorado at Boulder, his interest and passion in astronomy was fueled by courses taken in astrophysics. Today as a night sky photographer, he uses his camera to capture epic landscapes and legendary skies.
Attached is one of Chris's more recent images from Dinosaur National Monument in September 2020. He said, "Unfortunately the skies were filled with smoke from the wildfires here in Colorado and out west. Nevertheless, I shot this image near a campsite in Dinosaur called Echo Park. It was taken at the old Chew family homestead. The site is a historic site and was donated by the Chew family several decades ago to be part of Dinosaur National Monument. When Tara asked the question about historic sites, it didn't immediately come to mind -- but in fact it is. Although there is a lot of haze and smoke in the sky, you can still see some of the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy in the upper right corner. I call it Raise the Roof."
https://www.colorado.edu/fiske/sites/default/files/attached-files/raise_the_roof_photo_by_chris_scherpenseel.jpg
Fiske is one of the largest planetariums in the US, having served CU Boulder & the local community since 1975. We offer a diverse range of fulldome films, live talks, laser and liquid sky shows, as well as public gatherings for astronomical and NASA-related events.
Follow Fiske Planetarium:
Website | https://www.colorado.edu/fiske
Instagram | instagram.com/fiskeplanet
Facebook | facebook.com/teamfiske
When you think about pictures of objects in space, you might think of legendary telescopes like Hubble or famous spacecraft like Voyager. It’s true that scientists rely heavily on imaging from telescopes and spacecraft, but astrophotographers are advancing imaging technology and providing us with amazing pictures of nebulas, clusters, planets, and more! This week, AVFE talks with one astrophotographer about technology, travel, and the intricacies of getting a good night sky photo.
Chris Scherpenseel was born and raised in Colorado. At the age of 14, he traveled to New Zealand to live with his father. Seeing the natural beauty of another country sparked his interest in travel and photography. While attending the University of Colorado at Boulder, his interest and passion in astronomy was fueled by courses taken in astrophysics. Today as a night sky photographer, he uses his camera to capture epic landscapes and legendary skies.
Attached is one of Chris's more recent images from Dinosaur National Monument in September 2020. He said, "Unfortunately the skies were filled with smoke from the wildfires here in Colorado and out west. Nevertheless, I shot this image near a campsite in Dinosaur called Echo Park. It was taken at the old Chew family homestead. The site is a historic site and was donated by the Chew family several decades ago to be part of Dinosaur National Monument. When Tara asked the question about historic sites, it didn't immediately come to mind -- but in fact it is. Although there is a lot of haze and smoke in the sky, you can still see some of the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy in the upper right corner. I call it Raise the Roof."
https://www.colorado.edu/fiske/sites/default/files/attached-files/raise_the_roof_photo_by_chris_scherpenseel.jpg
Fiske is one of the largest planetariums in the US, having served CU Boulder & the local community since 1975. We offer a diverse range of fulldome films, live talks, laser and liquid sky shows, as well as public gatherings for astronomical and NASA-related events.
Follow Fiske Planetarium:
Website | https://www.colorado.edu/fiske
Instagram | instagram.com/fiskeplanet
Facebook | facebook.com/teamfiske
