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Beth Moon Photographs The World’s Oldest Trees Illuminated By Starlight
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Beth Moon Photographs The World’s Oldest Trees Illuminated By Starlight

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Ancient trees affected by cosmic rays are the subject of The “Diamond Nights” project by San Francisco-based photographer Beth Moon. Moon has spent the last 14 years photographing the world’s oldest trees in daylight, but this series captures them at night. Her photos feature primarily baobab and quiver trees in South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia.

“Our relationship to the wild has always played an important role in my work. This series was inspired by two fascinating, scientific studies that connect tree growth with celestial movement and astral cycles,” explains Moon on her website. The first study concluded that cosmic radiation impacts tree growth even more than annual temperature or rainfall; the second found that tree buds change size and shape directly correlating to the moon and planets.

A guide lead Moon to each location during the day. She returned to the marked spot at night, and took photos with 30 second exposure times to avoid capturing star movement. Each photo is named after the constellations in the background.

More info: bethmoon.com | Facebook | Amazon (h/t: mymodmet)

“This series was inspired by two fascinating, scientific studies that connect tree growth with celestial movement and astral cycles”

The first study concluded that cosmic radiation impacts tree growth even more than annual temperature or rainfall

The second found that tree buds change size and shape directly correlating to the moon and planets

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photau avatar
Peter Helenius
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately the photos are fake. https://petapixel.com/2019/05/07/this-milky-way-photo-on-nat-geo-is-raising-eyebrows/

starman1969 avatar
Stephen Cheatley
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, it seems these fake photos are even older than I thought. According to previous comments, this article is 3 years old.

Load More Replies...
nancmend avatar
nancymendiburu
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are amazing !! mother nature at her best and such talent in the photographer , thank you so much for sharing .

jepb21160 avatar
JulieBoyce
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would love to see what Beth Moon would do with Australia's beautiful trees...we also have Boabs :)

vickielveswho avatar
VickieJames
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope these are made into a book to buy, so breath taking!

obroadfoot avatar
OlinkaBroadfoot
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

a great name for the most wonderful photographs I have ever seen: Beth Moon

roshanmathew.verghese avatar
RoshanVerghese
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Seriously haunting photographs. How does she get that kind of star filled sky to photograph against?

rustic raven avatar
rusticraven
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG they are some of the best looking trees but there one of the trees that is in your picture that we have next to our yard an lord now she is very magical she watch over everyone in the house ;=]

glynislailann avatar
GlynisLailann
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wonderful Photos. There is a place in Botswana called Planet Boabab - an amazing place with a concentration of these incredible trees. The shots of the Quiver Trees reminds me of the ones I saw in the Tankwa Karoo National Park.

rosemarie_ventura_5 avatar
RosemarieVentura
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Stunning photographs. I wish I knew what kind of tree each was and where it was located.

rosemarie_ventura_5 avatar
RosemarieVentura
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Stunning photographs. I wish I knew what kinds of trees they were and where each was located.

annagsalerno avatar
AnnaSalerno
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amazing trees and the stars are almost unbelievable that there is anywhere on earth you could actually see them so brilliantly!

gracebarclay avatar
GraceBarclay
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These photos are absolutely stunning. Thank you. BTW, the baobab tree is my totem tree. Born, raised and lived all my life in south africa.

martinw avatar
Martin
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Its great to be travel to places where there is no light pollution and see starts on a moonless night...

michaelkeel avatar
MichaelKeel
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fantastic photos....but not the OLDEST in world. Awesome photos but these are NOT the oldest trees in the world. Check out the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in California. The oldest bristlecone pine individual is more than 5,000 years old and is the oldest known individual of any species. What makes them even more unique, yes they look dead, but they are alive.... Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves just below the tree line, between 5,600 and 11,200 ft (1,700 and 3,400 m) elevation on dolomitic soils.The trees grow in soils that are shallow lithosols, usually derived from dolomite and sometimes limestone, and occasionally sandstone or quartzite soils. Dolomite soils are alkaline, high in calcium and magnesium, and low in phosphorus. Those factors tend to exclude other plant species, allowing bristlecones to thrive. Because of cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds, and short growing seasons, the trees grow very slowly.

michaelkeel avatar
MichaelKeel
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love these shots. But they are not the OLDEST trees in the world. Awesome photos but these are NOT the oldest trees in the world. Check out the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in California. The oldest bristlecone pine individual is more than 5,000 years old and is the oldest known individual of any species. What makes them even more unique, yes they look dead, but they are alive.... Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves just below the tree line, between 5,600 and 11,200 ft (1,700 and 3,400 m) elevation on dolomitic soils.The trees grow in soils that are shallow lithosols, usually derived from dolomite and sometimes limestone, and occasionally sandstone or quartzite soils. Dolomite soils are alkaline, high in calcium and magnesium, and low in phosphorus. Those factors tend to exclude other plant species, allowing bristlecones to thrive. Because of cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds, and short growing seasons, the trees grow very slowly.

gabrielmeissner avatar
Gabrielmeissner
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Beth Moon's night time shots I fantasize that each twig on each tree has a particular light up there it has been reaching for all its life, and that's why the trees have grown into such shapes! It brings to mind that saying, applicable to children, but so appropriate in this instance: "As a twig is bent, so grows the tree."

gabrielmeissner avatar
Gabrielmeissner
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's as if each branch and twig had a particular star it was reaching out to and praising all its life, and that's why the trees have grown into such outlandish figures.

photau avatar
Peter Helenius
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Unfortunately the photos are fake. https://petapixel.com/2019/05/07/this-milky-way-photo-on-nat-geo-is-raising-eyebrows/

starman1969 avatar
Stephen Cheatley
Community Member
4 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, it seems these fake photos are even older than I thought. According to previous comments, this article is 3 years old.

Load More Replies...
nancmend avatar
nancymendiburu
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are amazing !! mother nature at her best and such talent in the photographer , thank you so much for sharing .

jepb21160 avatar
JulieBoyce
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would love to see what Beth Moon would do with Australia's beautiful trees...we also have Boabs :)

vickielveswho avatar
VickieJames
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope these are made into a book to buy, so breath taking!

obroadfoot avatar
OlinkaBroadfoot
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

a great name for the most wonderful photographs I have ever seen: Beth Moon

roshanmathew.verghese avatar
RoshanVerghese
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Seriously haunting photographs. How does she get that kind of star filled sky to photograph against?

rustic raven avatar
rusticraven
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG they are some of the best looking trees but there one of the trees that is in your picture that we have next to our yard an lord now she is very magical she watch over everyone in the house ;=]

glynislailann avatar
GlynisLailann
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wonderful Photos. There is a place in Botswana called Planet Boabab - an amazing place with a concentration of these incredible trees. The shots of the Quiver Trees reminds me of the ones I saw in the Tankwa Karoo National Park.

rosemarie_ventura_5 avatar
RosemarieVentura
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Stunning photographs. I wish I knew what kind of tree each was and where it was located.

rosemarie_ventura_5 avatar
RosemarieVentura
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Stunning photographs. I wish I knew what kinds of trees they were and where each was located.

annagsalerno avatar
AnnaSalerno
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Amazing trees and the stars are almost unbelievable that there is anywhere on earth you could actually see them so brilliantly!

gracebarclay avatar
GraceBarclay
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These photos are absolutely stunning. Thank you. BTW, the baobab tree is my totem tree. Born, raised and lived all my life in south africa.

martinw avatar
Martin
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Its great to be travel to places where there is no light pollution and see starts on a moonless night...

michaelkeel avatar
MichaelKeel
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fantastic photos....but not the OLDEST in world. Awesome photos but these are NOT the oldest trees in the world. Check out the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in California. The oldest bristlecone pine individual is more than 5,000 years old and is the oldest known individual of any species. What makes them even more unique, yes they look dead, but they are alive.... Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves just below the tree line, between 5,600 and 11,200 ft (1,700 and 3,400 m) elevation on dolomitic soils.The trees grow in soils that are shallow lithosols, usually derived from dolomite and sometimes limestone, and occasionally sandstone or quartzite soils. Dolomite soils are alkaline, high in calcium and magnesium, and low in phosphorus. Those factors tend to exclude other plant species, allowing bristlecones to thrive. Because of cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds, and short growing seasons, the trees grow very slowly.

michaelkeel avatar
MichaelKeel
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love these shots. But they are not the OLDEST trees in the world. Awesome photos but these are NOT the oldest trees in the world. Check out the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in California. The oldest bristlecone pine individual is more than 5,000 years old and is the oldest known individual of any species. What makes them even more unique, yes they look dead, but they are alive.... Bristlecone pines grow in isolated groves just below the tree line, between 5,600 and 11,200 ft (1,700 and 3,400 m) elevation on dolomitic soils.The trees grow in soils that are shallow lithosols, usually derived from dolomite and sometimes limestone, and occasionally sandstone or quartzite soils. Dolomite soils are alkaline, high in calcium and magnesium, and low in phosphorus. Those factors tend to exclude other plant species, allowing bristlecones to thrive. Because of cold temperatures, dry soils, high winds, and short growing seasons, the trees grow very slowly.

gabrielmeissner avatar
Gabrielmeissner
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Beth Moon's night time shots I fantasize that each twig on each tree has a particular light up there it has been reaching for all its life, and that's why the trees have grown into such shapes! It brings to mind that saying, applicable to children, but so appropriate in this instance: "As a twig is bent, so grows the tree."

gabrielmeissner avatar
Gabrielmeissner
Community Member
8 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's as if each branch and twig had a particular star it was reaching out to and praising all its life, and that's why the trees have grown into such outlandish figures.

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