Nightscapes Gallery
You don’t always need a telescope to capture the beauty of the night sky. Take a look at this gallery of beautiful images of star trails and the Milky Way captured by our members from around the Asheville area.
Click any image to see larger views in a slideshow.
Star trails over the Richland Balsam Overlook at the highest point on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Composite of 200 images by club member Simone Lipscomb.
This is the Milky Way Galactic Core as captured by club member Alan Davis.
This is a view of the Milky Way from the Richland Balsam Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Photo by club member Tommy Wilkinson.
Our galaxy, The Milky Way, in this wide angle shot with a little light painting, from the highest point of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Richland Balsam Overlook. Photo by club member Alan Davis.
From high up on North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Parkway, the core of our own galaxy, the Milky Way, with a long, bright Perseid meteor, on the new moon night of August 12, 2026. Photo by club member Alan Davis.
Milky Way over Silver Run at one of our club’s private star gazes near Cashiers, North Carolina. Composite photo by club member Tommy Wilkinson.
Raining stars! Earth’s rotation causes stars to appear to be moving across the night sky in this hour-long exposure of about 60 35-second frames, a minute apart, stacked. Photo by club member Alan Davis
The Milky Way rises above the club's Grassland Mountain Observatory. Photo by club member Jerry Sherman.
The Milky Way, from our club's Grassland Mountain Observatory, August 13, 2018. Photo by club member Vince Castello.
ISS crosses the Milky Way in this time exposure photo by club member Jerry Sherman.
The core of our galaxy, The Milky Way, photographed by club member Alan Davis at one of the club’s “Pop-up” star gazes, at the Mt. Pisgah Trailhead on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
A composite of long exposures of star trails, demonstrating the Earth’s rotation relative to Polaris, the North Star, photographed by club member Alan Davis at one of the club’s “Pop-up” star gazes, at the Mt. Pisgah Trailhead on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Composite photo of the 2025 Perseids Meteor Shower, from the club’s Grassland Mountain Observatory. Photo by club member Tommy Wilkinson.
An evergreen tree silhouetted against the Milky Way. Photo by Tommy Wilkinson at one of the club’s “Pop-up” star gazes at Pisgah Trailhead on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Star trails in a series of stacked photos by club member Simone Lipscomb, at one of the club’s “Pop-up” star gazes at Waterrock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway under the dark skies of Western North Carolina.
Milky Way over Wilson Creek, between Linville and Morganton, North Carolina. Composite photo by club member Tommy Wilkinson
Motion of the Heavens...Star Trails. The Earth rotates on its axis which is conveniently pointing directly at Polaris, the North Star. A series of long exposures aimed at Polaris, and merged together. Photo by club member Alan Davis.
Star trails appear to be rotating around Polaris, the North Star, in this multiple long-exposure image of the photographer's house, which she calls "Home Sweet Home." Photo by club member Simone Lipscomb.
Composite photo of the Milky Way above the Broughton Hospital Reservoir near Morganton, North Carolina. Photo by club Member Tommy Wilkinson.
Milky Way over John Rock on the Davidson River near Brevard, North Carolina. Photo by club member Tommy Wilkinson.
“Stairway to Heaven,” by club member Simone Lipscomb. Simone shot this photo at one of our club’s “Pop-up” stargazes, at Waterrock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The Milky Way Galaxy looking West-Southwest from the club’s Grassland Mountain Observatory. You may notice Orion, Taurus, Sirius, Jupiter, and the Pleiades. Photographed at a GMO public star gaze by club member Tommy Wilkinson.
The Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud, near Kaikoura New Zealand. A rare scene for Northern Hemisphere residents, the LMC and SMC are two irregular dwarf galaxies in the southern celestial hemisphere. Orbiting the Milky Way galaxy, these satellite galaxies are members of the Local Group. Photo by club member Ken Westall.
The Milky Way rising above the Mt. Pisgah trailhead parking lot, at a club "Pop-up" star gaze. Photo by club member Jerry Sherman.