The aurora borealis, also known as the northern lights, are beautiful patterns of light that dance across the sky. They are caused by storms from the sun. While aurora are more common around the North Pole, sometimes we can see them in New York. The aurora pictured here above Kopernik Observatory happened on August 12, 2024.

Kopernik Observatory has three domes: the Sarton Dome, the Celestron Dome, & the Kresge Dome. Each dome houses a large telescope. The dome in this northern lights photo is the Celestron Dome. This houses the Celestron 14-Inch EdgeHD reflector telescope which zooms in on objects in the night sky using a mirror.

Comets come from the outer reaches of the Solar System—from either the Kuiper Belt or the Oort cloud. They are made of ice and dust. As comets get closer to the Sun, they brighten and develop tails. This photo was taken at the Kopernik Science Park with a smartphone. It shows Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS and its long tail stretching across our evening sky on October 15, 2024.

A total lunar eclipse happens when the Moon completely enters the Earth’s shadow. During a total lunar eclipse, the Moon turns red. This photo of a total lunar eclipse was taken on March 14, 2025 with Kopernik’s 6-Inch Super Planetary Refractor telescope found in the Sarton Dome. This telescope uses a lens to zoom in on objects.

Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System. It is a gas giant made of hydrogen and helium with a complex ring system. This image of Saturn shows the true power of Kopernik’s Super Planetary Refractor telescope. Imaged on September 19, 2024, it captures the main planet and its ring system.

This is an object beyond the Solar System, but it still resides in the Milky Way galaxy. Located 9,000 light-years away from Earth, the Trifid Nebula is a star-forming region in the constellation Sagittarius. It’s well-known for its contrasting blue and pink color. The blue is starlight reflecting off of cosmic clouds of dust and gas. The pink is gas being energized by surrounding stars, causing it to glow.

This is an object beyond the Solar System, but it still resides in the Milky Way galaxy. Located 5,200 light-years away from Earth, the Lagoon Nebula is a star-forming cloud in the constellation Sagittarius. This nebula can be faintly seen in dark skies without a telescope. This photo of Lagoon (and Trifid) was taken on July 4, 2022 at Kopernik using a wide-field camera.