Breathtaking photographs by Beth Moon capture world’s oldest trees illuminated by starlight

You might think rainfall and temperature are one of the greatest limiting factors for the growth of the trees. However, recent scientific studies prove that cosmic radiations are the main reason behind the existence of some the world’s oldest and most interesting trees in the world. This revelation led the San Francisco-based Photographer Beth Moon to discover the beauty of the ancient trees at night, against the extraordinary star-lit background of the sky.

Moon has been photographing the fascinating exquisiteness of ancient trees since the last 14 years but all those images were captured during the daylight. The photographer recently experimented photographing the trees at night and realized how the character of the age-old trees deepens with time, as the sun sets. Moon then initiated the “Diamond Nights” projects which focused on capturing old quiver and baobab trees in South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia.

The photographer discovered the subject of the images during the day and retraced them at night with the help of the collection of stones which she kept as an indicating mark.

As the images were captured, the artist also observed noticeable differences in the size and shape of the tree buds with respect to the constellation in the background. Hence, Moon dedicated each image’s title to the name of the constellation that was responsible for illuminating the ancient trees such as, Corvus, Hydra and Cetus.


Adara

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Aludra

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Andromeda

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Anka

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Aquila

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Ara

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Atlas

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Bellatrix

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Caelum

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Carina

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Cetus

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Corvus

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Delphinius

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Dorado

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Draco

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Electra

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Elnath

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Eridanus

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Fornax

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Hercules

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Hydra

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Izar

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Lacerta

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Leo

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Lynx

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Lyra

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Mizar

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Monoceros

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Norma

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Octans

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Orion

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Perseus

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Polaris

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Sargus

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Scorpious

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Serpens

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Triangulum

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Tucana

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Vela

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Volans

Image Credits: Beth Moon


Zibal

Image Credits: Beth Moon