La Palma – Heaven Above the Clouds

About this collection

La Palma is one of the most important astrophotography locations in Europe. Although the island lies far out in the Atlantic Ocean, close to the west coast of Africa, it belongs to the Canary Islands and therefore to Spain. For photographers traveling from Europe, this makes it especially practical: familiar infrastructure, the Euro, relatively simple travel and a flight from Germany of around four and a half hours.

For astrophotography, the island offers a combination that is hard to find so close to mainland Europe. La Palma lies much farther south than Germany, which gives a better view of the Milky Way core and opens up access to objects and sky regions that are difficult or impossible to photograph from Central Europe. This is especially interesting during winter, when the southern parts of the winter Milky Way become much more accessible.

Another major advantage is the altitude. Many of the best observing and photography locations are high above the cloud layer, where the air is clearer and the weather is often more stable than near the coast. This “above the clouds” feeling is one of the reasons why La Palma has become such a special place for night-sky photography.

The island has also been connected to professional astronomy for decades. The Roque de los Muchachos Observatory, operated by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, is one of the most important astronomical sites in the northern hemisphere. For many amateur astrophotographers, La Palma has always had a simple logic: go where the professionals go.

Over the years, La Palma has become a popular destination for astrophotography trips and workshops. I have already led workshops on the island myself and plan to return for future projects. The images in this collection were captured during nights above the clouds, under some of the best skies that can be reached from Europe within a relatively short flight.