Babak Tafreshi is an award-winning Iranian-American science photojournalist and astronomer. He directs The World At Night, an international programme documenting the night sky from the world’s most famous landmarks. Working at the nexus of art, culture and science, Tafreshi’s breathtaking photos reconnect us to nature and the universe.
Tafreshi coordinates international workshops and programmes on night sky photography. He also sits on the board of advisors for Astronomers without Borders, which looks to bring people together through astronomy. His mission: to reveal the wonders of science to the public, and connect cultures through a shared interest in the night sky.
Young Babak Tafreshi looks to the night sky
Tafreshi’s passion for capturing the beauty of the night sky first came as a teenager. He worked as editor of Nojum, a Persian astronomy magazine for a decade. Tafreshi produced hugely popular TV programmes on astronomy and space. This included a ten-year long TV project where he documented solar eclipses in all 7 continents.
His contribution to global night-sky photography found recognition when Tafreshi won the 2009 Lennart Nilsson award. This was the world’s most recognized award for scientific photography at the time.
Tafreshi currently works as a contributing photographer for Sky & Telescope Magazine and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). He has also worked as a science photojournalist for National Geographic since 2012. Recently, he received the 2022 National Geographic Wayfinder Award.
Tehran’s night sky to Boston’s night sky
Tafreshi was born in Tehran, Iran, before moving to the United States where he now resides in Boston. He became enamored with the night sky as a child when he first saw the moon through a telescope.
Tafreshi studied Physics at university before becoming a photojournalist.
Babak Tafreshi: The World At Night
Created in 2007, the World at Night is a program whose message is “One People One Sky”. In fact, Tafreshi coordinates photographers in over 30 countries, who capture the glory of the night sky above famous landmarks. The perspective it brings specifically aims to foster a feeling of collectivity, nurturing the one human family of which we are all part.
“The eternally peaceful sky looks the same above all the landmarks and symbols of different nations and regions, attesting to the truly unified nature of Earth as a planet rather than an amalgam of human-designated territories,” TWAN says. TWAN also believes this kind of global perspective can help us work towards a more peaceful world, for all its inhabitants.
With exhibitions, workshops and public talks worldwide, TWAN’s images of celestial wonder reach millions across the globe.
Follow Babak Tafreshi on Instagram for his latest news and check out his website to see his prints and available workshops.
