Astrophotographer Travels to Lesser-Known Country for Spectacular Space Shots

Aug 16, 2024

On the left, colorful star trails curve across the night sky over an old stone structure on a hilly landscape. On the right, a clear night sky shows the Andromeda galaxy and other stars above a mountainous silhouette with trees.

Taking pictures of the stars is challenging. Heck, even seeing them is difficult thanks to most people living in light-polluted areas that diminish the view of the Universe above us.

So for astrophotographers wanting an unobstructed view of the great beyond, they must travel to a remote location. That’s exactly what Soumyadeep Mukherjee did recently and he chose a rather obscure location: the Central Asian country of Kyrgyzstan.

Three yurts are set against a backdrop of snow-covered mountains under a starry sky with vibrant colors. The foreground features grassy terrain, and the central yurt has a decorated entrance, suggesting a serene and isolated location. — Kyrgyzstan is particularly good for nightscapes.

A breathtaking night sky filled with countless stars and an eerie green glow hovers above snow-capped mountain peaks. Rolling hills lead up to the rugged mountains, creating a serene and mystical landscape under the vast, starry expanse. — Andromeda galaxy and green skyglow in Tash Rabat.

A breathtaking night sky filled with stars and vibrant pink nebulae stretches over a mountainous landscape. The foreground features green rolling hills leading to snow-capped peaks. Small buildings are nestled in the valley to the left.

Kyrgyzstan was part of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union until it gained independence in 1991. But the politics of the country mattered not for Mukherjee who was mainly attracted to its dark skies.

After initially planning to explore dark sky locations in his native India, Mukherjee began looking at Kyrgyzstan and quickly discovered the country to be “full of dark skies along with some breathtaking landscapes, and very importantly, it is a budget-friendly tour.”

Snow-covered mountain peak under a partly cloudy sky. The rugged terrain is highlighted by the sunlight breaking through the clouds, casting shadows and creating a serene, majestic atmosphere. Patchy clouds and mist add to the ethereal quality of the scene. — It’s not just astro shots, Kyrgyzstan is great for landscapes too.

A group of six horses walks along a ridge under a dramatic sky filled with clouds. The sunlight creates a striking contrast, casting shadows and giving the scene a peaceful yet powerful atmosphere. The image is in black and white.

Kyrgyzstan is not high on the holiday destination list meaning it is comparatively less explored, “especially in terms of astrophotography.”

“I will definitely be short of adjectives when it comes to describing the beauty of the country and what I felt being there,” Mukherjee tells PetaPixel. “It felt like living in a dream, at least the landscapes made me feel that way.”

A starry night sky filled with bright stars and pink nebulas. The silhouette of a rocky mountain with conifer trees lines the bottom of the image, creating a natural contrast against the vibrant cosmic backdrop. — North America nebula rising at Barskoon Valley.

A stunning night sky over a mountainous landscape. The Milky Way is vividly visible, stretching across the sky, with numerous stars dotting the scene. Below, a green valley leads to snow-capped peaks in the background, and small lights illuminate the base of the mountains. — The Milky Way over Tash Rabat.

A bronze bust on a pedestal stands under a starry night sky, with galaxies and constellations clearly visible. The bust appears to be a person wearing a hood or helmet. A large mountain range is faintly visible in the background. — Stars behind the Gargarin Statue.

Mukherjee describes seeing vast grassland surrounded by rocky mountains and wild horses running the banks of large alpine lakes.

“In Kyrgyzstan, one would never run out of compositions and each would be different from the previous ones,” he adds.

A series of traditional yurts, lined up side by side, sit on an expansive, grassy plain with a backdrop of mountains under a sky filled with clouds. The image is in black and white, highlighting the contrast between the yurts and the dramatic landscape.

A breathtaking night sky filled with countless stars twinkles above a dark, jagged mountain silhouette. The Milky Way galaxy is prominently visible, with the dense star field creating a mesmerizing celestial display above the treetops and rugged terrain. — Andromeda rising over Barskoon Valley

A landscape image featuring a range of smooth, rolling hills under a clear, star-filled night sky. The horizon is framed by jagged mountain peaks, and the scene is illuminated by the soft, blue light of the twilight stars. — The big dipper at twilight.

A dramatic landscape shows rugged mountains partially covered with snow under a cloudy sky. The contrast between the dark shadows and bright snow creates a striking visual effect, highlighting the texture and contours of the mountain range.

Mukherjee says Kyrgyzstan was particularly good for nightscapes (the night sky combined with landscape elements) thanks to the country’s dark skies in many locations.

“I visited Son-kul, Tash Rabat, Barskoon Valley and Issyk-kul. During transit, I visited Bishkek (the capital) and Karakol region, which are equally beautiful,” he adds.

An old stone structure sits in the foreground under a sky filled with vibrant star trails. The long exposure photo captures the circular motion of stars, creating colorful arcs above the darkened mountains and landscape. A curved path leads to the structure. — Star trails above Tash Rabat.

Mukherjee and his companions hired two minibuses to traverse the country and found the roads to be in good condition. However, he says the language barrier can be an issue because there are very few people there who can understand anything other than Russian and Kyrgyz.

“I feel lucky to have been able to travel to Kyrgyzstan and capture these images. Looking at the images, without fail, takes me back to the place,” he adds.

More of Mukherjee’s work can be found on his Instagram.

Image credits: All photos by Soumyadeep Mukherjee.