Latest news with #OneinaBillion
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
One in a Billion: Sonal Holland's journey of popularising wine in India
If you believe in an idea and know it makes sense, don't give up - for Sonal C Holland, believing in her idea meant putting wine on India's map and inspiring a whole new community of wine lovers Neha Kirpal New Delhi Listen to This Article One in a Billion: Becoming India's First Master of Wine Published by Westland 195 pages ₹599 In 2016, Sonal C Holland became the first Indian to earn the title of Master of Wine (MW), the highest qualification in the world of wine. The coveted certification is conferred by the Institute of Masters of Wine via a rigorous three-stage programme — consisting of a preliminary exam, a main exam of theory and blind-tasting papers, as well as a 10,000-word research paper. Ever since, Ms Holland has been inspiring a whole new community of wine lovers in the country and
Mint
12-07-2025
- Mint
A ‘Master of Wine' on how wine and food work together
Another memorable trip was to the Bordeaux region in France—home to some of the most revered wineries in the world, such as Château Margaux, Château Brane-Cantenac, Château Pichon Baron and Château Leoville Barton. As always, I got to drink several fascinating wines on this trip. One of the highlights of this trip for me was our visit to Château Cos d'Estournel, where I was stunned to find that the architecture of the winery closely resembled the pagodas of Asia. The château's founder, Louis Gaspard d'Estournel, was known to have a fondness for India, which is reflected in the château's architecture, as underneath the pagodas is an ornate wooden door guarded by elephants. To see the Indian elephant as the symbol of this esteemed winery, sculpted in stone, wood and shrub across the château's premises, filled my heart with fondness and pride. It was a reminder of India's vast legacy and influence across different continents. India might be discovering the world of wine now, but it had been woven into the history of wine centuries ago by this estate. During our visit to Bordeaux, for a couple of days we stayed in Sauternes, which produces graceful sweet wines. The amber-coloured wines have aromas of honey, orange marmalade and spices. The producers of Sauternes wines always emphasise it isn't just a dessert wine and can be paired with a range of dishes. While visiting wineries in Sauternes, we were treated to lunches that explored the wine's versatile food compatibility. One of the most popular food pairings was with liver pâté, which is made by grinding pork liver with lard. Liver pâté is a popular French delicacy, so my fellow students were thrilled to try it with exquisite Sauternes wine. As a pescatarian, I hadn't been sure of what kind of food would be available on this visit. So, I had registered for the tour as a vegetarian, and was served dishes like cucumber and cream cheese roulade or fruit-based salads. Sonal Holland's 'One in a Billion' book cover. As the tour progressed, my friends' reaction changed from 'Ah, pâté' to 'Ooh, pâté, again' and then 'Oh, pâté, again.' By the third day, people would hover over my table, looking wistfully at my plate of fresh veggies and cheeses, and say, 'We want what you have!' This experience proved that every food and cuisine can be paired with wine if you understand the fundamentals of pairing the two. Many foods suppress certain taste buds on our tongue, momentarily altering our perception. The simplest example of this is drinking orange juice straight after brushing your teeth. The juice tastes sour and bitter because toothpaste contains sodium laureth sulfate, which suppresses the taste buds that detect sweetness. Understanding this interaction between different foods and beverages is the key to wine and food pairing, so that the wine you offer doesn't get overpowered or altered in taste by the food you serve it with. Sour foods, such as tomatoes, vinegar, lemons, enhance the flavours of wine, making it taste richer. Salty foods like salted cod, salted nuts and salt-crusted pretzels and even bread too make a great pairing with wine, especially with high-tannin wines like Shiraz or Malbec, since salt acts as a flavour enhancer and softens the wine's tannins. However, pairing wines with bitter foods like bitter green vegetables or umami foods like eggs or bacon is challenging. Indian dishes can pair with a wide variety of wines, as long as they aren't overly spicy, but this requires another book, which I will write soon. During these visits, I learnt invaluable lessons from people working in different spheres of the wine industry. Ironically, these people were not MWs themselves, but their wealth of experience and practical knowledge was immense. Come to think of it, an MW learns the most from people who are not MWs themselves! However, every person I interacted with had immense respect for the title and for the students who pursued it. I think the respect was for the determination, focus and dedication that we students put in. Once a person becomes an MW, they earn respect from the industry for the time and effort they invest to further develop the industry. An MW is meant to be the keeper of knowledge of the wine world. The whole reason for being vessels of knowledge is to share whatever we know with the rest of the world—that's the core virtue of every MW, because knowledge has no power unless it is shared. Over the six years, I also realised that the wine world is constantly evolving, with innovations in how wine is produced, marketed or accessed, and because of the impact of external factors like climate change on the industry. This meant that even after one became an MW, the learning never stopped. Excerpted with permission from One in a Billion: Becoming India's First Master of Wine by Sonal C. Holland, published by Westland Books.
The Hindu
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Sonal Holland, India's first Master of Wine, launches her memoir
In 2016, Sonal Holland become the country's first Master of Wine. The prestigious qualification is considered to be highest standard of professional knowledge in the field. After 20 years in the industry, Sonal has released her memoir, One in a Billion (Westland Books). The book charts her professional journey with personal anecdotes about family and motherhood. 'In these two decades I have walked an unconventional path,' Sonal says over a call from Mumbai. 'I believe my story is unique. My obsessive journey to get this title, and the sacrifices that went behind it... I wanted to chronicle it all.' Sonal says the book is aimed the three kinds of people: people in the trade who are curious about what a 'master of wine' is and how does one get to be one. 'Second is for consumers who want a glimpse into the industry, through my lens. As I call it, my rosé-tinted glasses.' And last, she says the book is for anyone who is looking to reinvent themselves and change paths. The book is dedicated to her father, whom she calls her 'first champion'. It begins on Ganesh Chaturthi of 2016, the day that the results of the Master of Wine exam are due. She is rightfully nervous. 'Consider this: way more people have scaled Mount Everest or travelled to space than have become Master of Wine (only about 512 since 1953).' 'The Indian wine industry then was nascent' Sonal grew up in Mumbai with her parents who had government jobs. 'The first 32 years of my life, I lived in a Reserve Bank colony in Mumbai. I had a very humble upbringing, a typical Maharashtrian childhood. I am a first-generation wine drinker in my family.' The book charts her rebel teen years, her initial career in hospitality, and how she met her husband. In 2006, she decided to leave her corporate job. 'Wine as an idea just came to me as a lightning bolt. The Indian wine industry then was nascent.' She looked up what was the highest qualification you can get and came across the Mater of Wine issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom. At the age of 33, Sonal embarked on a journey to study wines. 'Alongside that was my parallel journey into motherhood. I had a lot of problems with pregnancy. In 2009, I adopted my daughter.' When she started her course in 2010, her daughter was one. 'I have missed so many important milestones.' One in a Billion goes into these vulnerable moments. The book has added inputs from her sister, her mother, her stepchildren and from the folks at the Institute of Masters of Wine. Writing the book, with her business, was hard. It took over a year to pen. But through her life journey, Sonal wants to inspire other people who are craving a second act. One in A Billion is published by Westland Books and is priced at ₹438
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Politico Bets on New Podcast Push to Take on TV's Sunday News Cycle
Look out, 'Meet the Press.' Make way, 'Face the Nation.' Politico wants to enter the Sunday-news pow-wow. The political-news outlet recently launched a new podcast with former NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns, and would like the show, 'The Conversation,' to vie with the nation's Sunday programs in more direct manner. Thanks to video distribution via YouTube, says Politico CEO Goli Sheikholeslami, executives believe they have a shot. More from Variety Comedian Zarna Garg Launches Podcast on Heels of 'One in a Billion' Amazon Special True Crime is Most Popular Podcast Genre: Pew Research Study APA Names Nick Panella Head of New Podcast and Audio Group (EXCLUSIVE) 'Our ambitions are not small,' she tells Variety during a recent interview. 'We do think we can, and we should, compete with other big players in this area. And I do think that having YouTube as a platform really does allow you to compete directly with the broadcasters in this day and age.' Politico's hopes for Burns' Sunday program are bolstered by the fact that Jonathan Greenberger, the former ABC News Washington Bureau chief and executive producer of 'This Week with George Stephanopoulos,' is an executive vice president for the Axel Springer-owned news unit. 'The Conversation' is just one of a handful of new podcasts that Politico is in the process of launching — and in which it is ramping up investment. The company has hired two new executives to build out its audio and video content. Ben Reininga, formerly the global head of news at Snapchat, has been named vice president of audio and video, while Haley Thomas, formerly senior producer of CNN's audio division, has been named head of content of audio and video. Reininga will report to Greenberger, while Thomas will report to Reininga. Separately, the NBC News executive who had been tasked with oversight of 'Meet the Press,' Carrie Budoff Brown, has returned to Politico, where she once served as editor in chief. In a different era, the Sunday talk shows were viewed as a stand-alone part of the national news cycle. The last efforts to penetrate their ranks came in 2009, when CNN launched 'State of the Union,' and 1996, when Fox News Channel debuted 'Fox News Sunday.' Today's media consumers, however, are more likely to watch video podcasts or tee up short-form audio programs — and don't consider such products inferior to those produced by mainstream TV. Approximately 58% of Americans say they prefer to get news on a digital device, according to a 2024 survey conducted by Pew Research — higher than the 32% who said they preferred TV. Politico has other podcasts and videocasts at the ready. The company recently launched 'The Playbook Podcast with Jack Blanchard and Dasha Burns.' Soon to come: 'Corridors with Rachael Bade,' built around the reporting of its Capitol Bureau Chief. The company's new audio executives will have a hand in determining future products, says Sheikholeslami. While podcasts have historically appealed to a younger audience, Sheikholeslami, herself a former CEO of New York Public Radio, believes the format is crucial if Politico is to draw additional engagement form its current aficionados. 'Great journalism has to have a sort of multifaceted distribution strategy,' she says, adding: 'We know that people have very busy lives, and sometimes they don't have time to read all the great stuff that we publish every day. But they do have 20 minutes or 15 minutes to listen to a podcast.' And they may appreciate a break with some of the conventions of the format. The traditional coterie of Sunday programs 'sort of assume that viewers haven't spent their entire week immersed in the news,' she says. Politico's take on the format offers longer conversations that don't have to be broken up in the same way the predecessor shows are. 'You can get to a depth that is hard to do when you are limited by a shorter amount of time.' If Politico's efforts bear fruit, the outlet's current core readership of policymakers and lawmakers will spend more time with its content, no matter how it's consumed., says Sheikholeslami. 'It's not necessarily about expanding to a new audience. I think it's much more about how can we be more useful to the audience that already engages with us very deeply?' Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
2025 Milky Way photo contest features its first winning image taken from space
The winners of the 2025 Milky Way Photographer of the Year contest have been announced, highlighting epic imagery of the Milky Way from around the world, and even from above it. The contest, hosted by travel photography blog Capture the Atlas, is in its eighth year. This year, the contest received 6,000 entries from photographers of 16 different nationalities. Images spanned 25 locations around the globe, including Chile, the United States, Greece, Switzerland, Guatemala, New Zealand, Taiwan, Yemen, Chad, India, Namibia, Spain and more. Plus, an image taken from space was included in the collection for the first time. Some photos captured celestial events like a comet, a meteor shower and a lunar eclipse. Dan Zafra, the editor of Capture the Atlas, curates the annual list based on image quality, the story behind the shot and the overall inspiration it provides. Zafra says the project's goal is to inspire people to connect with the night sky and "to encourage photographers to explore and photograph the Milky Way from new angles." You can see all of the winning images at Capture the Atlas, along with tips on how and where to photograph the Milky Way. Photographer: Don Pettit Image title: One in a Billion Image location: ISS (International Space Station) Camera settings: 8 sec, F1.4, ISO 6400 Gear: Nikon Z9, Sigma 14mm F1.4. Sky Watcher modified tracker Caption: I float in the Cupola, looking out the seven windows composing this faceted transparent jewel. While my mind is submerged in contemplation, my eyes gorge on the dim reflections from a nighttime Earth. There are over eight billion people that call this planet home. There are seven of us that can say the same for Space Station. What a privilege it is to be here. I used an orbital star tracker to take out the star streak motion from orbit. Photographer: Petr Horálek Image title: Tololo Lunar Eclipse Image location: Cerro Tololo Observatory, Chile Camera settings: ISO 8000, 81 x 10 sec (single exposures stitched to panorama). Moon is result of HDR work. Gear: Canon Ra, Sigma Art 35mm F1.8 Caption: On March 14, 2025, a total lunar eclipse occurred, especially visible over the Americas and the Pacific Ocean. I was fortunate to observe this particular eclipse from the NSF Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile. You can see how epic the sky was during totality, as the Moon darkened enough for the majestic Milky Way, the faint belt of Zodiacal Light, and prominent airglow to stand out. Photographer: Mike Abramyan Image title: Boot Arch Perseids Image location: Alabama Hills, CA, USA Camera settings: Sky: Mosaic of 9 images at 50mm, 92 sec, F2, ISO 400; Foreground: Mosaic of 4 images at 50mm, 92 sec, F2.8, ISO 400; Meteors: 14mm, 15 sec, F1.8, ISO 400 Gear: Sony A7IV Astromodified, Sony 50mm f/1.2 GM, Benro Polaris, Leofoto LS-324C, Sony A7IV, Sony 14mm 1.8 GM Caption: The Perseid Meteor Shower occurs every August, raining down hundreds of meteors over a few nights. In 2024, I had planned to photograph it from the Canadian Rockies, but wildfires forced me to change my plans at the last minute. After checking wildfire maps, I found a safe haven in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. After three full nights of capturing meteors, I created this image. Sitting on the rock is my friend Arne, who often joins me on these adventures, gazing up at the magnificent core of our galaxy. Each meteor is painstakingly aligned to its true location in the night sky. The final depiction shows all the meteors I captured, combined into one frame—as if the Earth hadn't been rotating and all the meteors had fallen at once. Photographer: Benjamin Barakat Image title: Bottle Tree Paradise Image location: Socotra, Yemen Camera settings: Foreground (blue hour): 10 sec, F8, ISO 400; Sky: 5x 120 sec, F2.0, ISO 400 Gear: Sony A7IV, Sony 14mm F1.8, Sunwayfoto T2840CK, MSM Nomad Caption: Socotra is one of my favorite places on Earth, but when it comes to a specific location, this one stands out. It doesn't have an official name, as it's not a destination for the few fortunate tourists who visit Socotra. After shooting there for the past four years and scouting the island, I've discovered hidden gems like this one, which I call Bottle Tree Paradise. Bottle trees are unique to Socotra, a result of the island's long isolation from the mainland. This separation allowed them to evolve distinctive features, such as their water-storing, bottle-shaped trunks, which help them survive Socotra's harsh, dry climate. They are believed to have originated from ancient plant species that adapted to the island's unique environment over millions of years. Photographer: Angel Fux Image title: Double Milky Way Arch Over Matterhorn Image location: Zermatt, Switzerland Camera settings: Both arches share the same Exif: 20mm, F5.6, 127 sec, ISO 2500; Foreground / Landscape: 15.5mm, F5, 1/5 sec, ISO 800 Gear: Nikon Z6 Astromodified (for the sky part), NIKKOR Z 20mm F1.8, Nikon Z8 (for the landscape part), NIKKOR Z 14-24mm F2.8, Benro Polaris Astro Kit, Peak Design travel tripod Caption: This image captures the rare Double Arch Milky Way, where both the Winter Milky Way (with Orion rising) and the Summer Milky Way (with the Galactic Center) appear in the same night—a seamless transition between seasons. Taken at 3,200 meters in the heart of winter, the night was brutally cold, testing both my endurance and equipment. This is a time blend, preserving the real positions of both arches by combining frames taken hours apart, with the foreground captured at dawn for the best detail. Zermatt and the Matterhorn have been photographed countless times, but I aimed to create something truly unique—an image captured under conditions few would attempt. I'm incredibly proud of the effort and patience it took to bring this vision to life. Photographer: Pablo Ruiz Image title: Valle de los Cactus Image location: San Pedro de Atacama, Chile Camera settings: Sky: 9 x 240 sec, F2.8, ISO 800, 14mm; Foreground: 9 x 120 sec, F2.8, ISO 2500, 14mm Gear: Nikon D810, Nikon Z6 A, Nikkor 14-24 F2.8 ,Rollei Gamma, Sky Watcher Star Adventurer Caption: A panoramic shot of the Milky Way in a remote area of the Atacama Cactus Valley, known for its large concentration of cactus plants. I love this place with its countless possibilities. The panorama was taken just as the galactic center began to rise, with the spectacular Gum Nebula visible on the right. It was an especially bright night with a breathtaking sky. The valley isn't easy to navigate, but it's always worth trying to find new compositions in such stunning locations beneath the night sky. Photographer: Sergio Montúfar Image title: Cosmic Fire Image location: Volcán Acatenango, Guatemala Camera settings: 10 sec, F2.8, ISO 3200 Gear: Canon 6d Astromodified, Samyang 24mm F1.4, Sirui tripod Caption: On the early morning of June 2, 2024, I summited Acatenango Volcano for the first time, hoping to witness the fiery beauty of the neighboring Volcan de Fuego against the Milky Way's backdrop. That night, the volcano was incredibly active—each thunderous explosion reverberated in my chest, while glowing lava illuminated the dark slopes. Above, the Milky Way stretched diagonally across the sky, a mesmerizing band of stars contrasting with the chaos below. As the volcano erupted, the ash plume rose vertically, forming an acute angle of about 45 degrees with the galaxy's diagonal path, creating a stunning visual contrast between Earth's fury and the cosmos' serenity. Capturing this required a fast, wide-angle lens (f/2.8), an ISO of 3200, and a 10-second exposure to balance the volcanic glow with the starlight. The challenge was timing the shot during a new moon and aligning the right moment for the Milky Way to cross the frame next to the volcano. I used Lightroom as the editor. This image is special for its storytelling—the raw power of Volcan de Fuego meeting the tranquil expanse of the galaxy. Photographer: Max Inwood Image title: A Sea of Lupines Image location: Lake Tekapo, New Zealand Camera settings: Sky: 30 sec, F2.0, ISO 3200; Foreground: 30 sec, F2.4, ISO 6400 Gear: Canon 6D Astromodified, Sigma 28mm F1.4 Art, Samyang 14mm F1.4 XP, iOption SkyGuider Pro Caption: The annual lupine bloom in New Zealand is spectacular, with fields of colorful flowers stretching across the Mackenzie Basin. This region, located in the heart of the South Island, is renowned for its dark skies, making the scene even more surreal at night. I had to wait until the early hours of the morning for the wind to calm down, but eventually everything became still, and I was able to capture this image. Above the flowers, you can see the band of the outer Milky Way, alongside the constellations Orion, Gemini, and the Pleiades. Joining them are the bright planets Jupiter and Mars, with a strong display of green airglow visible along the horizon. Photographer: Brent Martin Image title: Diamond Beach Emerald Sky Image location: Great Ocean Road, Australia Camera settings: Sky: 13 frames x 3 rows, @ 20mm, F3.5, ISO 1600, 60 sec tracked exposures; Foreground: 13 frames x 2 rows, @ 20mm, F2.5, ISO 1600, 60 sec exposures. Gear: Sony A7III Astromodified, Sony 20mm F1.8 G, Sky-watcher Star Adventurer 2i Caption: With a clear night forecast and the Milky Way core returning for 2025, I set out to explore the Great Ocean Road. After a few setbacks—such as a failed composition and getting the car stuck on a sandy track—I almost gave up. However, I pushed on and found a great spot above the beach to capture the scene. The night was full of color, with Comet C/2024 G3 Atlas and a pink aurora in the early hours, followed by the Milky Way rising amid intense green airglow near dawn. Despite the challenges, the reward of this stunning image and the memory of the view made it all worthwhile. Photographer: Ethan Su Image title: Blossom Image location: Hehuan Mountain Dark Sky Park, Taiwan Camera settings: Sky: 1 row tracked panorama at F2, 90sec, ISO 800; Foreground: 2 row panorama and focus stack, F2.8, 60 sec, ISO 6400; 65 images in total. Gear: Caption: After three years of waiting, the Yushan alpine rhododendrons are finally in bloom once again on Taiwan's 3,000-meter-high Hehuan Mountain. On this special night, distant clouds helped block city light pollution, revealing an exceptionally clear view of the Milky Way. A solar flare from active region AR3664 reached Earth that evening, intensifying the airglow and adding an otherworldly touch to the sky. Together, these rare natural events created a breathtaking scene—vivid blooms glowing softly beneath a star-filled sky. Photographer: Rositsa Dimitrova Image title: The Night Guardians Image location: Easter Island, Chile Camera settings: Blend of 2 shots: foreground: 88 sec, F3.5, ISO 3200; sky: 20 sec, F2.0, ISO 2000 Gear: Sony A7iii Astromodified, Sony GM 14mm F1.8 Caption: Easter Island had been on my bucket list for a long time, and it once seemed almost impossible to reach. On our first night there, the weather forecast looked promising, so we decided to go ahead with the tour our group had booked 4–5 months earlier. However, Rapa Nui sits in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where the weather is notoriously unpredictable. When we woke up at 3 a.m. in our hotel, the sky was completely covered in clouds. Still, we decided to take the risk, knowing the forecast for the next few nights was even worse. An hour later, we were frantically photographing the statues at Rano Raraku—the quarry where nearly all of the island's 900 statues were carved—when the sky suddenly began to clear. By 5 a.m., it was completely clear, and we had less than two hours to capture all the shots we wanted. We felt incredibly lucky to be in the right place at the right time. Photographer: Kavan Chay Image title: Evolution of Stars Image location: Otago, New Zealand Camera settings: Sky RGB: 4 frames x 3 rows, each shot at 40mm, F1.8, ISO 1250, 50 second exposures; Sky (Rho region): Stack of 10 frames, each shot at 40mm, F1.8, ISO 1250, 60 second exposures; Foreground: 4 frames x 3 rows, each shot at 40mm, F4, ISO 2000, 60 second exposures. Gear: Nikon Z7 (astromodified), Sigma Art 40mm F1.4, Benro GX-35 ballhead, Sirui AM-254 tripod legs, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer Pro 2i Caption: The first image I captured from this spot is the one I feel truly kickstarted my astrophotography journey years ago. It was the first time I shot a tracked panorama using a 'longer' focal length lens (50mm). The set of sea stacks provided a prominent foreground subject facing the right direction, and being a local spot relatively free of light pollution, it was the perfect location to capture the Milky Way core. It felt fitting to try again with a few extra years of experience and an astro-modified camera, which allows for easier capture of hydrogen-alpha-rich regions of the sky (like the reddish nebulae around Zeta Ophiuchi, as seen in the image). The years of experience certainly made panoramic shooting and editing easier, though the shoot wasn't without its challenges. I managed to drop a tiny screw adapter in the dark, so I had to improvise a quick solution to make use of the star tracker. With a dying headlamp and the mysteries of wildlife lurking in the dark, all while the tide rapidly rose, it felt like enough adventure for a weekday night. Photographer: Uroš Fink Image title: Winter Fairy Tale Image location: Dobratsch Nature Park, Austria Camera settings: Sky: ISO 800, F1.8, 90 sec, 8 panels, low exposure frames for brighter sky parts (30 sec) + lee soft 5 for stars (ISO 3200, F1.8, 20 sec); Foreground: ISO 1250, F2.2, 80s, 8 panels + multi exposure frames for lightning the hut (80 sec, 20 sec,10 sec,5 sec,2 sec,1 sec) Gear: Nikon Z, Sigma 20mm 1.4 Dg Dn, Megadap tze21, Fornax Lightrack 2i, Sunwayfoto t3240ck, Lee soft 5 filter for stars, Focus on star mask Caption: Undoubtedly my wildest location this winter: Austria's Dobratsch mountain! If I had to describe it in two words, it would be a 'Winter Fairytale'! Despite a 5 a.m. work shift, I drove to Austria by 1 p.m., worried about my fitness and lack of sleep. After a 2-hour hike through the snow with a 22kg backpack and sled, the stunning views kept me energized. Arriving at the cabin (where I had planned my winter panorama two years ago), I was greeted by untouched snow, completely free of footprints. I spent the evening exploring compositions, and this is my favorite: a panorama of the winter Milky Way with reddish nebulae, stretching above Dobratsch Mountain. I captured the Zodiacal light and even the Gegenschein glow! The sky was magnificent, with Jupiter and Mars shining brightly. In the foreground is the cabin, where I spent 3 freezing hours (-12°C), waiting for the perfect shot of the Milky Way's core. It turned out exactly as I envisioned—a true winter fairytale. Photographer: Vikas Chander Image title: Echiwile Arch Image location: Ennedi, Chad Camera settings: Sky Exposure: 300 sec, F2.8, ISO 800, stack of 6; Foreground exposure: 480 sec, F2.8, ISO 800, LENR, LLL; Software: Pixinsight and Photoshop Gear: Sony A7rV Ha modded, Sony 12-24 F2.8 GM, Rainbow Astro RST 135e Caption: When one first Googles information about visiting Chad, the results aren't very encouraging from a safety perspective. Nevertheless, the intrepid astrophotographer in me decided to take the chance and visit this landlocked country, specifically the Ennedi Massif in the north. Sparsely populated and completely devoid of light pollution, the three-day drive from the capital, N'Djamena, was well worth the troubles and risks involved. The region is filled with numerous rock formations, shapes, and arches, offering an abundance of options for foreground elements to frame the dramatic night skies. Seen here is a small arch in the shape of a hoof in the Ennedi region. Photographer: Xingyang Cai Image title: Starlit Ocean: A Comet, the setting Venus, the Milky Way, and McWay Falls Image location: California, USA Camera settings: Sky: Stack of 20 images, each at ISO 1600, F1.4, 4 sec; Foreground: Stack of 10 images, each at ISO 3200, F1.4, 20 sec Gear: Sony A7 III (astro-modified), Sony 14mm F1.4 Caption: Capturing this image was a race against time, light, and distance. With Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS (C/2023 A3) making its approach, I knew I had a rare opportunity to see it with the naked eye before it faded into the cosmos. I embarked on a five-hour round trip to McWay Falls in Big Sur, one of the few Bortle 2 locations accessible along California's coast. My window was narrow—just six precious minutes of true darkness before the Moon rose and washed out the night sky. But those six minutes were unforgettable. In that brief span, the Milky Way arched high above the Pacific, Venus shimmered as it set over the ocean, and the comet streaked quietly across the sky—a celestial visitor gracing this iconic coastal cove. The soft cascade of McWay Falls and the stillness of the starlit ocean created a surreal harmony between Earth and sky. It was one of the most vivid and humbling naked-eye comet sightings I've ever experienced—an alignment of cosmic elements that felt both fleeting and eternal.
