Galaxies, Artemis 2, space telescopes and stormtroopers: Here are the best photos from our staff

A Night of Discovery and Adventure

Here at our publication, we have a deep passion for the night sky, rocket launches, and science fiction. Each month, we want to celebrate this love by sharing a collection of eclectic staff photos that showcase what we've been up to. From launch photos to images of historic hardware, and from breathtaking views of the night sky to some unexpected adventures, there's always something exciting to discover.

We encourage our readers to engage with us in the comments section under each article and to share their astrophotography with us. If you're interested in contributing, feel free to send your photos, comments, and your name and location to photos@.

A Road Trip to NASA’s Kennedy Center

Our flight writer, Josh Dinner, took a road trip down to NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to report on the historic launch of the Artemis 2 mission to the far side of the moon. "Witnessing the SLS launch from the press site was more than just seeing the rocket liftoff — it was feeling it," Dinner shared. "The shake and crackle of the solid boosters and legacy shuttle tech ripping through the sky is truly one to behold."

Dinner explained his photography techniques: "Whenever I photograph a launch, I always shoot at least a little underexposed. Accounting for the flame is important, especially when it comes to those blindingly bright solids." He also mentioned the unique effects created by small water droplets on his lens after a rainstorm the night before liftoff.

Capturing the Spiral Galaxy

Managing editor Brett Tingley set his sights on a stunning spiral galaxy located 11.6 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major. "On March 28, 2026, I hiked out to a dark area in the Appalachian mountains to capture some deep sky objects," Tingley explained. "Bode's Nebula (Messier 81) was positioned perfectly overhead during the evening hours, allowing for a perfect long-exposure shot."

Tingley used a Celestron Origin Mk II telescope with a nebula filter to capture the galaxy's spiral shape in great detail. "It's incredible to be able to set up a smart telescope and watch images like this one develop in real time," he said.

Meeting the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope

Astronomy editor Monisha Ravisetti had the opportunity to spend time with the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope at NASA's Goddard Flight Center in Maryland. "As a journalist, it's routine for me to write about telescopes," she said. "But what sticks out is this instrument launched before I was born."

Ravisetti described her experience: "The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope is the first observatory headed beyond Earth that I got to see in person. It was a surprising experience. It appeared as a piece of real, mechanical equipment, but I realized why it seemed profound to be its witness."

Capturing the Triangulum Galaxy

Skywatching editor Daisy Dobrijevic captured a gorgeous view of the Triangulum Galaxy using a smart telescope that cut through the light-polluted city sky. "I captured this view of the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) from my garden in Nottingham, U.K., using the Vaonis Vespera Pro," Dobrijevic said. "Despite working under Bortle 6 skies, I built up 3 hours of total exposure time across multiple nights."

Dobrijevic was surprised by the level of detail she could pull out in such a short amount of time, especially given the light pollution.

Witnessing the Artemis 2 Launch

Editor-in-chief Malik joined Dinner in Florida to witness the launch of Artemis 2 first hand. "I have waited my entire life to see astronauts launch to the moon," he recalled. "For the first time in my 49 years, more than half of that as a reporter, I feel like a new age is finally beginning."

Malik described the experience: "Watching four astronauts launch on NASA's most powerful rocket since the Saturn V hits different. First, it was SO LOUD. Much louder than the Starship launch because we were just 3 miles away. You felt it in your bones and it drowned out all sound."

Remembering Legendary Aircraft

Senior producer Steve Spaleta reminisced about a collection of legendary aircraft. "After covering the unveiling of Virgin Galactic’s ship Unity at the Mojave Air and Port in February 2016, Dave Brody and I visited the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark in Palmdale."

The photo shows a retired Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a Boeing 747-100SR, one of only two ever used to ferry shuttles. The outdoor aerospace museum also features a Lockheed JetStar used by NASA and several military aircraft, including a B-52 Stratofortress.

Capturing Vega in the Night Sky

Harry Bennett, our e-commerce staff writer and overall photography enthusiast, snapped a stunning view of Vega shining in the constellation Lyra. "Vega shines a beautiful white-blue with four prominent diffraction spikes, giving it an angelic presence amongst a vast star field," Bennett said.

Bennett used the enhanced vision mode on the Unistellar Odyssey Pro to stack four-second exposures continuously until he stopped it. "It is the first smart telescope I ever used and it gave me the ability to capture mind-blowing images of night sky objects even from a city center."

Infiltrating Amazon's London Office

Entertainment editor Ian Stokes went off campus to take a look at Amazon's office in London in disguise as a scout trooper. "I channelled my inner Bothan and managed to infiltrate the Amazon office in London," Stokes said. "They had a bunch of cool lightsabers, figurines, and helmets for staff and visitors to check out."

Stokes was escorted from the premises when he tried to add himself to the cast list for the new Stargate show they’re working on.

If you would like to share your photography with our staff and readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to photos@.