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John Goldsmith is the producer of the “Celestial Visions” photographic exhibition.
The exhibition features some of the most remarkable astronomical events to occur in Australia and around the world. The photography is based on a series of exciting journeys which have involved a blend of travel, exploration and discovery, photographic technical skill & creativity.
Key themes of the exhibition include the celestial wilderness, deep space, ancient astronomical inspirations and celestial futures. The exhibition features comets, meteor showers, eclipses of the Sun and Moon, deep space images, long time exposures. Also featured are famous cultural and natural sites from around the world, including world heritage sites.
John’s photographic style relates astronomical events to our planet, the earth, via the use of wide angle lenses, natural night illumination scenes and long time exposures. John’s photography is inspired by contemporary astronomical photographers including renowned Japanese photographer Akira Fujii and Australia’s David Malin (previously based at the Anglo Australian Observatory).
The Celestial Visions exhibition has featured at various forums including Central Park Tower, Perth, Scitech, Murdoch University, and WA’s Gravity Discovery Centre. His photography is featured in numerous publications including the Australian Geographic Magazine, the Bulletin, Sky and Space Magazine, WA’s Landscope Magazine, as well as broadcast media including Chanel 9, Chanel 2, the BBC and Dr Patrick Moore’s “The Sky at Night”.
The Celestial Visions exhibition has enabled John to explore some of the deeper themes of astronomy, including our place in the universe, and the profound influences astronomical knowledge has had and continues to have on human culture.
These key themes crystalised in 2006, when John contributed towards the Gravity Discovery Centre, by chairing Cosmology Gallery Development Group. This group achieved a successful funding bid for the fist phase of the Cosmology gallery development (see the GDC website).
| 1986 |
Mt Magnet, Western Australia, photography of Halley’s Comet.
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| 1987 |
Supernova 1987A and Comet Wilson, Western Australia.
Winner, WA STAWA Science Prize, “Techniques of Astrophotography”.
Winner, WA Astronautics Prize.
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| 1991 |
Photographed volcanic sunsets over Western Australia, from Mt Pinatubo (Philippines).
Annular Solar Eclipse, Western Australia.
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| 1994 |
Comet Shoemaker Levy 9 impact with Jupiter, Western Australia
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| 1996 |
Comet Hyakutake , Western Australia . Photo-mosaic of 10 consecutive nights of comet.
Pre-discovery photographs of Comet Hale Bopp.
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| 1997 |
Photographic project, Comet Hale Bopp, Pyramids of Giza, Egypt,
Visit to Helwan (Cairo) Observatory, Old Citadel and Islamic Mosques.
Photographic project Comet Hale Bopp, Stonehenge, UK.
Met Dr Patrick Moore, Sky at Night 40th year celebrations.
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| 1998 |
Leonid meteor shower, Pinnacles, Western Australia.
Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater, Kimberley Western Australia.
Space Shuttle flyover of Perth “City of Lights” Australia, with astronaut John Glenn.
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| 1999 |
Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater, Kimberley Western Australia (with Jack Jugarie).
Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles), WA.
Annular Solar Eclipse, Greenough, Western Australia.
Celestial Visions photographic exhibition, Perth, Western Australia.
Landscope Article “Cosmic Impacts in the Kimberley”.
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| 2000 |
Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater, Kimberley Western Australia.
Australian Geographic SPACE 2000 calendar produced.
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| 2003 |
Wolfe Creek Meteorite Crater, Kimberley, Western Australia (with Pat Lowe).
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| 2005 |
2005 Contributor to SkyLab, Out of Orbit Exhibition. http://www.skylabexhibition.org.au/
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| 2006 |
Cosmology Gallery Development Group Chairperson, Gravity Discovery Centre, WA.
Astronomical photography, Sydney Harbour, Australia, visit to Sydney Observatory. http://www.gdc.asn.au/
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| 2007 |
Comet McNaught above City of Perth, Western Australia. Daylight images of comet recorded on video, spectacular images of comet above city skyline, on video and photography. |
| 2008 |
Joined The World At Night, www.twanight.org, an international network of astronomical photographers
Astronomy Picture of the Day, NASA APOD site (http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/), 12 September 2008.
Coordinated the David Malin Awards / photographic exhibition at the Cosmology Gallery, Gravity Discovery Centre.
Astronomical photography presentation at the Geo-heritage book launch, WA Museum. |
| 2009 |
Timelapse night-time photography at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania.
Presented at the IAU Symposium 260 "The Role of Astronomy in Society and Culture", UNESCO, Paris France.
Timelapse photography of Earth Hour 2009, Perth CBD.
Overall winner of the "Sketching the Sky" competition.
Timelapse photography at Wave Rock, WA.
The World At Night exhibit featured at the "SKA Out There" exhibition, University of Western Australia.
Presentation to the Royal Society of Western Australia, "Astronomy and Landscape, A Cultural Journey"
Presentation to the Astronomy Group of Western Australia "Celestial Visions"
Photographic project in Bali, Indonesia, producing timelapse night-time images of the Sacred Monkey Forest Temple, Ubud, Bali.
"Starlight, Celestial Visions on Second Life" astrophotography exhibition in the foyer of the physics building, UWA. The permanent exhibition was launched on Second Life (www.secondlife.com), at the University of Western Australia SL site.
"Celestial Visions" talk presented at the Theosophical Society, Western Australia
Presented at the "Things Belonging to the Sky" Symposium on Aboriginal Astronomy, at AIATSIS, Canberra, www.aiatsis.gov.au.
Organised three astrophotography exhibits for Astrofest 2009; The World At Night, Celestial Visions and the inaugural Astrofest photography competition, attended by a record crowd of 4000 visitors.
Invited contributor to the International Year of Astronomy 2009 Cosmopoetry project www.cosmopoetry.ro/astropoetrytoiya/ |
| 2010 |
Presentation at the Communicating Astronomy with the Public Conference (CAP 2010) Cape Town, South Africa.
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Click on the linked image on the left of each article (where applicable) to download a pdf version.
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Gravity Discovery Centre (2008) “The Cosmology Gallery, Unity Through Diversity in a Vast and Awe Inspiring Universe”. Gravity Discovery Centre Foundation. View entire document
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Goldsmith, J (2001) “The Invisible Universe” Book Review, Australian Geographic Magazine, No 64, Oct – Dec 2001. pp121 . |
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Goldsmith, J (2000) “Cosmic Impacts in the Kimberley”, in Landscope Magazine, (Vol 15 No. 3, Autumn 2000). Published by the Executive Director, Department of Conservation and Land Management, Western Australia. pp 28 – 34 . |
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Goldsmith, J (2000) “2001 Space Calendar”, Published by Australian Geographic Pty Ltd, 2000. Cover . |
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Goldsmith, J (1999) “The Emu in the Sky" in Australian Geographic Magazine, No. 55. July / September 1999 edition. pp 19 . |
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Goldsmith, J (1999) “On the Trail of the Leonids” in Sky and Space Magazine. Vol 12 No 1, Issue 52, February / March 1999. Sky & Space Publishing. pp 28 – 29 . |
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Goldsmith, J (1999) “Focus” in Sky and Space Magazine. (Leonid meteor shower and Pinnacles) Vol 12 No 1, Issue 52, February / March 1999. Sky & Space Publishing. pp 34 – 35. |
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Goldsmith, J (1998) “Sky Show” in The West Australian. Science Today Liftout, pp 10 , November 9, 1998 edition. The West Australian Newspaper. |
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Goldsmith, J (1998) “Moonlight and Meteors” in Sky and Space Magazine. Vol 11 No 5, Issue 50, October / November 1998. Sky & Space Publishing. pp 52 - 55. (Pages 52-53 , 54-55 ) |
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Goldsmith, J (1997) “Focus” in Sky and Space Magazine. (Photo feature on Comet Hale-Bopp and Great Pyramid), Vol 10 No 3, Issue 42, June / July 1997. pp 26 - 27 . Sky & Space Publishing. |
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Goldsmith, J (1998) “On a Comet’s Tail” in The West Australian. Science Today Liftout, pp 13 , May 25, 1998 edition. The West Australian Newspaper. |
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Goldsmith, J (1997) “Stonehenge, the Pyramids and Comet Hale-Bopp” in Sky and Space Magazine. Vol 10 No 3, Issue 42, June / July 1997. pp 22 - 23 . Sky & Space Publishing. |
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Goldsmith, J. (1997) “Images of Celestial Motion”, in Perihelion, Volume 11 No 3 Winter 1997 pp 11 - 12. |
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Goldsmith, J. (1997) “Ancient Views of Comet Hale Bopp”, in Perihelion, Volume 11 No 3 Winter 1997 pp 3 - 6 . |
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Goldsmith, J. (1996). “Photographic Prediscovery of Comet 1995 01 (Hale-Bopp)” in Perihelion. Volume 10 No 1 January 1996. pp 5 . |
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Goldsmith, J.M. & Athanasou, J. (1995). “Astronomical Research” in Drawn to Mt Magnet by Morrissey, K & Day, L. Shire of Mt Magnet. Western Australia. pp 251 - 252 . |
Text and photographs/images copyright © John Goldsmith
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