Miguel Claro

Miguel Claro is a professional photographer, author and science communicator based in Lisbon, Portugal, who creates spectacular images of the night sky. As a European Southern Observatory photo ambassador, a member of The World At Night and the official astrophotographer of the Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, he specializes in astronomical skyscapes that connect Earth and the night sky. 

Articles by: Miguel Claro

the dusty lanes of the milky way with a glowing bit towards the center

The Milky Way's dusty galaxy heart has a super-strange glow (photo)

By Miguel Claro published

Astrophotographer Miguel Claro stitched together an eerie look at the core of our galaxy, the Milky Way, showing glowing lights in the dark.

the sun is bright and orange and yellow

See the sun's savage surface like never before in new timelapse video

By Miguel Claro published

The sun gets super-active in a new timelapse captured from a Portugal dark sky preserve by astrophotographer Miguel Claro.

a circular overhead view of the sky and shooting stars and the milky way

Watch the glow of the Milky Way and ghostly zodiacal light during the 2023 Perseid meteor shower (video)

By Miguel Claro published

The new moon glows in the sky above Turkey with the reflected light of Earth shining upon it in gorgeous photos by astrophotographer Miguel Claro.

a large orange moon hovers over a distant castle built wide across the top of a hill or small mountain.

See the Super 'Blue' Moon of 2023 rise over a castle in this epic photo and time-lapse video

By Miguel Claro published

A single shot shows a Super Full “Blue” Moon which don’t have nothing of blue, rising above Monsaraz castle at Dark Sky® Alqueva, in Portugal.

The raging fire of the sun is seen in great detail. Solar flares erupt from its surface and around its edges.

The sun rages with solar flares in epic time-lapse footage (video)

By Miguel Claro published

Astrophotographer Miguel Claro captured a stunning time-lapse video of solar flares dancing across the sun from the Dark Sky Alqueva site in Portugal.

a mountain peak in the foreground in darkness. behind are shooting stars streaking toward the horizon. the milky way is glowing in the background in the vertical middle of the image

Shiny Perseid meteors light up a dark sky in Portugal (video)

By Miguel Claro published

The Perseid meteor shower will bring shooting stars to your neighborhood on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12. You can get a preview of the spectacular show in this video.

glowing arch of milky way above a desert landscape with stars

The Milky Way sparkles like fireworks in this desert view of our galaxy (photo)

By Miguel Claro published

Astrophotographer Miguel Claro captured an incredible panoramic image of the Milky Way from the Lut (Dasht-e Lut) desert in Iran.

green comet visible against a backdrop of stars

Watch 1 month in the life of a green comet during its journey past Earth (video)

By Miguel Claro published

Comet C/2022 E3 made a close pass by our planet in January, and a new video captures its incredible journey in 4K resolution.

telescopic image of the sun showing a big tornado erupting

Stunning solar tornado swings into space above the glowing sun (video)

By Miguel Claro published

A new video shows off the sun's incredible power. A 'solar tornado' erupted from the surface in April, and you can watch it in 4K resolution.

deep sky image of galaxies showing numerous galaxies and stars

See 1,900 galaxies light up the night in gorgeous deep-sky photo

By Miguel Claro published

The Virgo Cluster and 1,900 galaxies shine in an incredible image captured from a dark sky preserve in Portugal, by photographer Miguel Claro.

all-sky circular image showing the milky way going across the center and trees and a lake around the perimeter of the circle

Green comet soars in stunning 3D image of the Milky Way (photo)

By Miguel Claro published

Astrophotographer Miguel Claro captured a panoramic view of the Milky Way, a comet and other night sky sights from a dark sky preserve in Portugal. Watch it in virtual reality.

a red moon backdropped by black night

See the moon turn blood red in this stunning lunar eclipse video

By Miguel Claro published

A new time lapse showcases the incredible view during a lunar eclipse, which will help us wait out the two-year drought until a new blood moon appears in our skies.

two scenes side by side. one shows the new moon high in the sky above a lake and pergolas. the second scene is a timelapse photo of the new moon rising in a glowing sky with mountains and a lake

New moon glows with 'Earthshine' in incredible time-lapse photo series

By Miguel Claro published

The new moon glows in the sky above Turkey with the reflected light of Earth shining upon it in gorgeous photos by astrophotographer Miguel Claro.

An image of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) taken by Miguel Claro in Portugal.

Green comet flaunts its tail in dazzling deep space photo

By Miguel Claro published

A new image from astrophotographer Miguel Claro shows a close-up view of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) on Jan. 22, 2023 immersed in a colorful starfield.

A photograph of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) taken by Miguel Claro.

Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) shines bright while closest to the sun in gorgeous photo

By Miguel Claro published

The image shows a close-up view of comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) during perihelion, when it was at its closest to the sun on Jan. 12, 2023.

A solar prominence rises from the swirling surface of the sun.

Watch the sun spew a massive cloud of plasma in stunning video

By Miguel Claro published

Astrophotographer Miguel Claro caught amazing footage of a coronal mass ejection.

This vertical panorama, composed of four images, shows a strong zodiacal light coming from the region where planet Venus was located, in the western sky of Pampilhosa da Serra, Dark Sky Aldeias do Xisto, Portugal.

Zodiacal Light meets the Milky Way in stunning night sky photo

By Miguel Claro published

The rare zodiacal light zodiacal light beams up at the Milky Way in this photo captured from Portugal's new "starlight tourism" destination.

A single shot photo features a golden full moon rising above the landscape of Alandroal, in Portugal's Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve, on Nov. 12, 2019.

A golden moon rises above the fields of Portugal's Dark Sky Alqueva reserve (photo)

By Miguel Claro published

This dreamy night-sky photo features a golden full moon rising above the landscape of Alandroal, Portugal, in Dark Sky Alqueva, the world's first "starlight tourism destination."

A panoramic view of the Milky Way's core, captured from the Atacama Desert in Chile. Emission nebulas are shown in pink, and the blue spots are reflection nebulas.

The starry dusty field from the core of our Milky Way galaxy (photo)

By Miguel Claro published

A panoramic view of the Milky Way galaxy's dusty core reveals several colorful deep-space nebulas.

A full-dome, time-lapse image captured with a circular fisheye lens features a northern lights show above the cliffs of Seljalandsfoss, Iceland.

Green auroras dance over Iceland in awesome fisheye video

By Miguel Claro published

A cityscape view captured from the highest point of Lisbon shows a single shot of the first full moon and penumbral lunar eclipse of the year, rising against the anti-twilight arch above the capital of Portugal, on Jan. 10, 2020. The Tagus River is visible in the background.

Full moon and the 'Belt of Venus' glow over Lisbon during 1st eclipse of 2020 (photo)

By Miguel Claro published

A cityscape view captured from the highest point of Lisbon shows the first full moon of the year, rising above the capital of Portugal on Jan. 10, with the Tagus River visible in the background.

A night scene captured at the end of summer season from the Dark Sky Alqueva reserve in Portugal shows a galactic arc above a dead tree, featuring both parts of the summer and winter Milky Way.

Milky Way's seasonal transition captured in gorgeous night sky photo

By Miguel Claro published

A starry night scene captured at the end of summer from the Dark Sky Alqueva reserve in Portugal shows the Milky Way's galactic arc shimmering above a dead tree in Noudar Park.

A lonely stargazer looks up at the constellation of Orion, the hunter — and its dimming star Betelgeuse — in this photo captured from Portugal's Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve.

Orion and its dimming star Betelgeuse shine over a stargazer in this sentimental night-sky photo

By Miguel Claro published

A night-sky photo features a lonely stargazer admiring the beautiful constellation of Orion, the hunter — and it's strangely dimming star Betelgeuse.

This deep-space image shows the Heart and Soul nebulas shining brightly in reddish hues from energized hydrogen. The photo was captured from the Cumeada Observatory in Portugal's Dark Sky Alqueva Reserve.

Cosmic love: Heart and Soul nebulas will capture your heart on Valentine's Day (photo)

By Miguel Claro published

This deep-space image shows the Heart and Soul nebulas shining brightly in reddish hues from energized hydrogen.

Saturn, Venus and Jupiter align above the skyline of Tel Aviv, Israel, as seen during the morning twilight.

Planets Align Over the 'White City' in Twilight Photo of Tel Aviv

By Miguel Claro published

Planets align over the skyline of Tel Aviv in this panoramic view of the city by twilight.

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