National Geographic photographer and founder of The World at Night, bridging art and science under the night sky.
Babak Tafreshi is a National Geographic Explorer at Large and a global voice for the protection of the night sky—for the benefit of humanity, wildlife, and the natural world. Through his work, he reveals what is increasingly disappearing: a shared sky that has shaped life on Earth for millennia. Working at the intersection of art and science, Tafreshi creates powerful visual stories that reconnect audiences with the cosmos and deepen our understanding of Earth's place within it. He is the founder of The World at Night (TWAN), an international effort to present stunning nightscape imagery. His work spans all continents and ranges from still photography to immersive media, expanding how we experience the night. In collaboration with scientists and institutions including NASA, his projects connect perspectives from Earth with views from orbit—offering a rare and humbling sense of scale. Born in Iran and now based in the United States, Tafreshi has received honors including the Lennart Nilsson Award and the Royal Photographic Society Award, and an asteroid, 276163 Tafreshi, named in recognition of his contributions to science communication.
