Jeff Dai submitted this photo to EarthSky – taken September 9, 2015 – and wrote:
Lights or Stars? Today most city skies have become virtually empty of stars. But there is someplace beyond your imagination. Pictured above, the central bulge of our Milky Way galaxy shines brightly above the vast ocean of lights of Yaqing Temple. Located at Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province of China, Yaqing temple lies in an isolated valley with 4,000 meters above sea level. The monastery is associated with the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. With more than 30,000 Sangha members now, it’s the largest concentration of nuns and monks in the world.
Deborah Byrd created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. Today, she serves as Editor-in-Chief of this website. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named 3505 Byrd in her honor. In 2020, she won the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society, the largest organization of professional astronomers in North America. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
Like what you read? Subscribe and receive daily news delivered to your inbox.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.