Pejman Shojaee Biomedical AI · Computational Biology Deutsch

Beyond research

Long nights and long distances

Astrophotography, the Mont Blanc glaciers and Saxon sandstone — hobbies that mostly involve being outside when sensible people are asleep.

Deep sky

Astrophotography

Deep-sky and wide-field imaging from Saxony and further afield, shot on a DSLR and stacked and processed by hand. Click any photo to see it larger.

  • The Andromeda Galaxy, M31, with its satellite galaxies M32 and M110 — a stack of 133 forty-second exposures.
    The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) with its satellites M32 and M110 — 133 exposures of forty seconds, stacked by hand.
  • A deep image of the North America Nebula and the Pelican Nebula in Cygnus, red hydrogen emission divided by a dark dust lane.
    The North America Nebula (NGC 7000) and the Pelican (IC 5070), split by the dust lane that makes the “Gulf of Mexico”.
  • A wide field of the North America Nebula in Cygnus, with the bright star Deneb at upper right.
    The same region wider, with Deneb at upper right — an earlier attempt from a brighter site.
  • Circumpolar star trails arcing over still water between dark wooded banks, the arcs repeated in the reflection.
    Circumpolar trails over still water — the arcs doubled in the reflection below.
  • Star trails wheeling above a lake framed by overhanging trees, a band of twilight still on the horizon.
    Star trails framed by lakeside trees, with the last of the twilight still sitting on the horizon.
  • Star trails wheeling over the lights of Zittau, Saxony — a long stack of exposures around the celestial pole.
    Star trails wheeling over the lights of Zittau, Saxony — a long stack of exposures around the celestial pole.
  • Star trails above an observing site, the gear lit in red to preserve dark adaptation.
    Star trails above an observing site, the gear lit in red to preserve dark adaptation.
  • The Milky Way core rising behind a mountain ridge.
    The Milky Way core rising behind a mountain ridge.

12 August 2026

Eighty-five seconds of totality

The total solar eclipse of 12 August 2026, photographed from Spain on two cameras at once — one long lens on the corona, one at 24 mm on the landscape. Totality lasted about eighty-five seconds, low in a sky already going to twilight.

  • The eclipsed sun and its corona hanging in a deep twilight sky above a Spanish valley, with vineyard rows in the foreground and a village lit below.
    Totality over the valley — the corona in a deep twilight sky, shot wide at 24 mm from the vineyard above the village.
  • Second contact: a single brilliant bead of sunlight remains on the lower left of the lunar limb, ringed by the faint inner corona.
    Second contact — the last bead of sunlight on the lunar limb, an instant before totality.
  • The totally eclipsed sun: a black lunar disk surrounded by the structured white corona, with a small pink prominence on the lower left limb.
    Totality — the inner corona, with a pink prominence just visible on the limb at lower left.
  • The partially eclipsed sun, deep red in the thick air near the horizon, setting behind a silhouetted treeline.
    After totality: the partially eclipsed sun, reddened by the low horizon, setting behind the trees.

Mont Blanc

Glaciers and granite

Hiking in the Mont Blanc region — up to the glaciers, along the ridges on the far side of the valley where you can see the whole massif at once, and eventually back down into Chamonix for something to eat.

  • A glacier spilling down between snow-covered granite peaks of the Mont Blanc massif under a clear blue sky.
    A glacier spilling out of the high peaks of the Mont Blanc massif, on a clear autumn morning.
  • A hiker with poles and a pack standing on bare rock at the foot of a glacier in the Mont Blanc massif, broken séracs rising behind.
    At the foot of the glacier, the séracs breaking up behind.
  • A hiker on a dry ridge with the snow dome of Mont Blanc filling the horizon across the valley behind.
    On a ridge across the valley from Mont Blanc, with the whole massif in view.
  • A hiker in a cap and sunglasses on a high traverse in the Mont Blanc region, a steep rock tower rising behind.
    A long day in the Mont Blanc region, traversing below a rock tower.
  • A statue on a plinth in a square in Chamonix, with fresh snow on the peaks of the Mont Blanc massif rising directly behind the rooftops.
    Down in Chamonix, with fresh snow sitting on the massif directly above the rooftops.

On foot and on two wheels

Trails, rock and long rides

Hiking, climbing on the Saxon sandstone and long distances around Dresden — including the Megamarsch, which is exactly as long as it sounds.

  • Standing on a sandstone outcrop looking out over a forested gorge in Saxon Switzerland.
    Above the gorge in the Saxon Switzerland sandstone country.
  • A climber part-way up a steep sandstone face on a rope.
    On the sandstone: a summer afternoon on the rock.
  • A climber working up a sandstone slab, rope running to an anchor above.
    Working out the next move on a sandstone slab.
  • A tent pitched on rough grass with loaded panniers beside it and touring bikes laid down on the ground.
    Camp for the night on a bikepacking trip — tent up, panniers off, bikes down.
  • Finisher of the Megamarsch Dresden 2025.
    Finisher of the Megamarsch Dresden 2025.
  • Crossing the Augustusbrücke in Dresden, the old town behind.
    Crossing the Augustusbrücke in Dresden, the old town behind.
  • A forest trail in early spring, with the last of the snow still lying in the shade.
    A forest trail in early spring, with the last of the snow still lying in the shade.
  • Pejman Shojaee standing in a Dresden park on a bright autumn afternoon, trees turning yellow behind.
    An autumn afternoon in a Dresden park.

More photos on Instagram →