Larn Berge captures stunning cosmic display in The Night’s Dance

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–Atlas), the "cosmic kiwi", Venus and what appeared to be a meteor shower, captured from Ruapuke Point. Photo / Larn Berge Photography

Te Awamutu photographer Larn Berge has done it again, capturing comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–Atlas), a nebula in the shape of a kiwi, Venus and what appears to be a meteor shower from Raglan’s Ruapuke Point on Monday evening.

The comet has not been seen in our orbit for the past 80,000 years and has been visible in the morning sky since late September.

Berge had planned to just capture the comet, but the sky put on a show for him at the remote Waikato beach.

“To add to the atmosphere, nature added some lighting with the last hues of the beautiful sunset as the earth rotated further away,” Berge said.

“My photography is based a lot around planning and weather, but most of all my intuition. There had been several nights [when] I could have caught the comet, but I just wasn’t feeling the calling.

“Then boom – on the afternoon of October 21, I felt the calling. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like I hear the gods whisper, ‘Now’s the time’. So I packed all my gear and headed west.

“I needed to be at a remote location, as far away from light pollution as possible, so I decided to hike to Ruapuke Point – an extremely dangerous hike which I would not recommend for inexperienced hikers. Over 20 people have lost their lives here.”

Berge recently started a YouTube channel to showcase his photography expeditions, but decided this trek was too dangerous to be distracted by filming.

The work of art involves a blue-hour blend, as did his previous viral photo of the Milky Way over Tongariro National Park – The Kiwi Way.

The Night’s Dance includes eight captures for the foreground and eight captures for the sky, incorporating a total of 16 images.

He arrived at Ruapuke Point about 7.15pm for the sunset, staying until 11pm when the comet went out of sight.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–Atlas), the "cosmic kiwi", Venus and what appeared to be a meteor shower, captured from Ruapuke Point. Photo / Larn Berge Photography

“I do this to capture the best detail in the foreground, but I do lock in my exact location so the total image is accurate and authentic to what I am viewing – the camera does not move during the shoot,” Berge said.

“I captured some beautiful sunset photos then waited for the comet to show up, and much to my delight, the sky turned into The Night’s Dance!

“It was rather windy at the time, which is displayed in the motion caught by the rushes in the foreground. Much like my Kiwi Way image, which was taken at such a time it showcases the movement of time from blue hour into darkness, this one captures the wind.

“It’s great to be able to capture these elements in an image – it really gives you a sense of being there and experiencing it with me.

“It is my hope that these images inspire people to remember where we come from and open up a bigger perspective of life, a sense of wonder, joy and hope.”

More information and imagery can be found via the Larn Berge Photography Facebook page.

Jesse Wood is a multimedia journalist based in Te Awamutu. He joined the Te Awamutu Courier and NZME in 2020.