02/09/2026
To start, I would like to extend a huge thank you to the ESA - European Space Agency for this collaboration. I am absolutely delighted to have the opportunity to showcase my work in this way!
My name is Valentin. I am 27 years old and live in northeastern France. While I have been passionate about thunderstorms since childhood, I discovered the world of astronomy at 13 when I received my first camera for Christmas. I started by taking simple photos of stars, and over the years, I invested in increasingly advanced equipment to capture the details of the night sky. Acquiring a motorized equatorial mount in 2018, followed by modifying my Canon 6D (removing the IR filter) in 2023 (EOS 4’Astro ), enabled me to create the images I am sharing with you today.
Image 1:
Milky Way arch from Mercantour National Park in the French Alps, summer 2026.
Image 2:
Panorama of the May 2024 aurora borealis from northeastern France, featuring the Butte de Montsec monument on the left.
Image 3:
Panorama of the January 2026 aurora borealis from the Vosges mountains, featuring the Temple of Donon on the left.
Image 4:
85mm mosaic of the Milky Way core from Mercantour National Park.
Image 5:
Comet C/2025 R3 Panstarrs with a solitary tree, captured from the France-Luxembourg border.
Image 6:
The Cygnus region in Ha-RGB, shot at 50mm.
Image 7:
Double galactic arch, featuring the summer Milky Way on the left and the winter Milky Way on the right; image captured over the course of a full night in March 2026 from northeastern France.
Image 8:
Milky Way arch over the Valmy Windmill, also in northeastern France.
Image 9:
Geminid meteor shower in December 2025, viewed from Lake Pierre-Percée in the Vosges mountains.
Image 10:
Rho Ophiuchi region at 85mm (Ha-RGB), featuring the monument at the entrance to Mercantour National Park in the foreground.
Image 11:
The Butte de Montsec monument in northeastern France against a winter sky.
I hope you enjoy these images, and once again, thank you to the European Space Agency for showcasing my work!
