Reclaiming the Night Sky

One man's quest to capture the sky at night

Babak Tafreshi is a 31-year-old Iranian journalist and amateur astronomer. From 1997 to 2007, he was the editor of Astronomy Magazine of Iran (Nojum), the Middle East's only magazine about popular astronomy.

Tafreshi is also the founder of The World at Night (TWAN), a project that produces and presents, according to their Web site, "a collection of stunning photographs and time-lapse videos of the world's landmarks against the celestial attractions."

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) have chosen TWAN as a Special Project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009.

And now, Tafreshi is the winner of the 2009 Lennart Nilsson scientific photography prize, which recognizes extraordinary image-makers in the scientific fields.

According to the award panel, Tafreshi was selected as this year's winner "for reclaiming a night sky that most modern people have lost, taking us to remote places where the stars still look like they did at the dawn of mankind."

"Wars are fought over boundaries that have been created in the name of politics, religion, race or beliefs," asserts a statement on TWAN's Web site.

"But the view from space reveals the true nature of our cosmic home -- a border-less planet divided only into land and sea. While few will experience that view first-hand, the same is also true in reverse; the night sky above us -- a view that is accessible to everyone on the planet -- also has no visible borders."

GET INVOLVED

• See some of Tafreshi's award-winning images
• Learn how you can participate in the International Year of Astronomy 2009
  
• Sign a petition to add the option for US taxpayers to contribute to NASA on the IRS 1040 tax form
• See what's in the sky tonight
• Buy a telescope from the Discovery Channel store

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• Looking Into Space from the Coldest Place on Earth (September 3, 2009)
• Viewing Victoria (August 31, 2009)
• The World's Largest Telescope (August 28, 2009
• Space Junk (August 24, 2009)
• Let There Be Light (August 19, 2009)
• The Tears of St. Lawrence (August 12, 2009)
• Saturn's Vanishing Rings (August 11, 2o09)
• Empire of the Sun (August 7, 2009)
• Where Stars Are Born (July 16, 2009)
• Orbiting Saturn, Five Years Later (July 10, 2009)

image: "There is nothing like watching the fantastic view of the Milky Way in a dark starry sky. In this stunning view of our galaxy, the dazzling planet Jupiter shines above the prominent figure of constellation Scorpius. To its lower left Sagittarius hosts the bright central part of the Milky Way. Shift your view along the galactic plane to the left to find constellation Auriga and bright star Altair at the top left. The binocular observer enjoys amazingly dark sky of Touran Desert in eastern Iran, over 100 km from the closest city Shahrud. Touran National Park is listed among the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve." (image and caption credit/copyright: Babak Tafreshi/Dreamview.net)