A remarkable image of the galaxy’s swirling colors over Easter Island’s famous moai statues was recently taken by photographer Josh Drury, an experienced astrophotographer and Space.com contributor. During his visit to Easter Island for last month’s annular solar eclipse, Dury took advantage of the island’s pristine night sky to photograph ancient sculptures beneath the spectacular expanse of the Milky Way, a link between the island’s historic culture and the universe above. Shows a unique relationship. The image, titled Aringa Ora o Te Tupuna or The Living Face of the Ancestors, was shared on social media and was later recognized by NASA as the Astronomy Photo of the Day (APOD).
The stunning night sky above the iconic Moai statues
The moai statues, some of which are twice the height of the average human and weigh up to 12,700 kilograms, stand as ancient figures on the remote island, famous for its exceptionally dark skies, far from urban light pollution. During his stay, Dury, supported by the island’s residents, deployed his camera to capture a composition that framed the sculptures with the Milky Way. This shot, in addition to its artistic merit, is seen as a tribute to the ancestral heritage of the islanders and the Rapa Nui people.
A photographer’s tribute to culture and science
Dury described this experience emotionally as one of the most important of his career and dedicated the picture to both the people of the island and his ancestors. In a statement about the title of the image, he explained that the phrase, in the native Rapa Nui language, represents a bridge between art, science and the cultural importance of astronomy to the island’s inhabitants.
