ENTRY DESCRIPTION
Torrents of energy from the variable star AE Auriga excite the hydrogen gas in the Flaming Star nebula (IC 405) some 1,500 light years from earth causing the gas to radiate light.

This image was captured in monochrome through a telescope and is an accumulation of 96 five-minute exposures (8 hours).

AUTHOR
Peter Hergesheimer is a San Diego-based nature photographer whose work spans an extraordinary range of subjects—from deep-space astrophotography and underwater imagery to wildlife, landscapes, and global travel. His photographs have earned awards in multiple international competitions. In 2025 he was recognized as Amateur Photographer of the Year by The Monochrome Photography Awards.

Peter’s photographic journey began in his youth, teaching himself black-and-white film photography and darkroom techniques before formal study in high school. His passion for diving naturally led him into underwater photography, first working with film and later transitioning to digital. Today, he works exclusively in the digital medium, capturing and processing both monochrome and color images. In his image creations, he balances artistic expression and realism, focusing solely on what the camera captures, deliberately avoiding image-generation technologies.

With academic degrees in electrical engineering, Peter spent his professional career in wireless product development where his creativity resulted in several patents. Since retiring from engineering, he has devoted himself fully to photography. His journey into the technically challenging deep-space astrophotography genre draws on his engineering background while his artistic interpretations of the cosmos are shaped by years of experience in composition and image-processing techniques developed across other photographic disciplines.

Together with his wife Beth, Peter has traveled to some of the world’s most remote and inspiring regions, including Antarctica, Patagonia, New Zealand, eastern Greenland, and Svalbard. These journeys continue to shape his work, providing opportunities to experience and document nature in its most powerful and awe-inspiring forms.

At the heart of Peter’s photography is a deep passion for capturing and sharing the beauty of the natural world. Through his lens, he invites viewers into moments of wonder—encouraging a deeper appreciation of nature, both terrestrial and celestial.

https://www.peterhergesheimer.com

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