Tunc Tezel

Tunc Tezel is a leading amateur astronomer and night sky photographer living in Turkey. Born in Bursa in 1977, he has been interested in the night sky as long as he can remember. His first recorded night of observation dates back to 29th February 1992. He also got involved in astrophotography in 1992 using very basic equipment. After graduating with a civil engineering degree in 2002, Tezel spent a great deal of time observing and photographing the night sky as well as trekking, bird watching and skiing among the diverse nature of his country. After many years in photography, Tezel still favours taking wide-angle photos of the night sky with foregrounds of nature. Tezel is also interested in solar eclipses and in 2006 he completed the first ever Analemma photograph that included a total Solar eclipse. This unique feat brought worldwide acclaim and publication of his photographs. Tezel's other specialty in night sky photography is capturing rare conjunctions and occultations of bright stars, planets and bright clusters near the Moon. He also creates dramatic all-sky and time-lapse photographs that capture meteors and the motions of the cosmos. One of Tezel's pictures, Galactic Paradise, won Earth and Sky category in Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2011 contest organised by Royal Museums Greenwich.