Stunning photos of the cosmos

Gokhan Saymaz is a part-time professional photographer. He created this dazzling image of star trails above Esentepe, in Cyprus. Saymaz used a long exposure technique, shooting 111 frames with a shutter speed of 30 seconds for each frame, before combining them using star trails software.

An avid astrophotographer, iReporter Carlos Soares took this photo near the Portuguese city of Braga. "This is widefield astrophotography with many targets, taken with a DSLR camera and a lens. We can see several constellations including Cygnus, the Lyra and the Eagle."

This breathtaking moonrise over the Sahara was taken by Slovenia-based photographer Iztok Medja, while in Morocco. In a former job as a nautical skipper, he would spend many night shifts gazing longingly at the sky. He says that it was while he was away from the light pollution of the city that his passion for night photography emerged.

Along with several other camera club members, iReporter Allan Qua Borebor made his way to one of the piers in Caramoan, in the Philippines, at around 11 p.m on June 30th. "The place was so quiet, so serene and so dark ... We were so lucky because a thousand stars showed up," Borebor recalls. "It was a perfect night together with friends."

Sarah Thornington is a Massachusetts-based iReporter who fell in love with the vast expanse above from a young age. On June 27, she picked up her camera and headed to the local drive-in. The night had all the conditions for a perfect shoot and Thornington watched as a couple of shooting stars (seen at the top of the image) blazed across the sky. She is already thinking about her summer stargazing bucket list -- to get "that beautiful shot of the Milky Way as it rises over the ocean."

Greg Hogan may only have been aiming his camera at the sky for the last six months but the astrophotography bug has bitten him pretty hard. "I bought a telescope for $25 at a yard sale and the first time I saw Saturn's rings, I was completely hooked," he says. "There's just so much out there that people don't realize that you can see without the equipment being expensive if you just slow down a minute and take a peek."

Jason Hullinger went to Joshua Tree National Park last December to catch the Geminid meteor shower. He set up his tripod to take 20-second exposures from about 11 p.m. Thursday to 3 a.m. Friday. He took about 500 photos and combined them with StarStaX, an image stacking and blending software for star trail photography.

Stephen Gill who loves "science, space and all things tech-y," captured this photo while vacationing in Grand Cayman with his wife on August 13 last year. "I've been out three nights in a row trying to capture a Perseid (meteor shower) since the conditions here are amazing, and finally got lucky," he said.

An enthusiastic stargazer, 39-year-old Lewis de Mesa wasn't going to miss an opportunity to snap the Camelopardalids meteor shower in May this year. Standing atop the highest peak in the United Arab Emirates, de Mesa snapped this impressive shot but wasn't thrilled by the result. "Not so much luck here in the United Arab Emirates," he said. "It wasn't that great ... Good thing I got some Milky Way goodness."

• iReporters have sent stunning photos of the night skies


• You don't need expensive equipment for impressive results


• Share your photos with CNN iReport and you could be featured on CNN

The Art of Movement is CNN's monthly show exploring the latest innovations in art, culture, science and technology.

(CNN) -- For thousands of years, man has looked to the stars in search of answers. Who are we? Why are we here? Are we alone?

The ethereal nature of the cosmos has brought inspiration to great thinkers throughout history -- Aristotle, Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan to name just a few. Through its profound beauty, the night sky has become a symbol of the possible.

Yet, too often, we get so caught up in the daily grind of work, family and friends that we fail to take a moment and appreciate the vast expanse overhead.

But not all of us.

Across the globe tonight, many will pack a duffel bag. In it: a camera, tripod, flashlights, telescope, perhaps a blanket and maybe some snacks before setting off in search of the perfect location for a late-night photo shoot.

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Among them could be Slovenia-based stargazing enthusiast and photographer, Iztok Medja. "The stars remind me that we are small and not so important as we think," he says. "But it's not the gear that makes the photo. You have to just love this stuff. And go outside and practice and learn. One day you will get something."

In Kathleen, Georgia, iReporter Greg Hogan tucks his kids in bed before grabbing his camera and stepping out into his front yard. A fairly new stargazer, he's only been snapping shots of space for the last six months but he's already besotted.

"I bought a telescope for $25 at a yard sale and the first time I saw Saturn's rings, I was completely hooked," he says. "There's just so much out there that people don't realize that you can see without the equipment being expensive, if you just slow down a minute and take a peek."

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The skies above us are a fascinating place with endless possibilities and iReporters across the globe are sharing their stories of snapping shooting stars, planets, galaxies, meteor showers and more. Explore the gallery above to view some of the best iReport astrophotography and find out the story behind these dazzling images.

Do you have a passion for astrophotography? Share your photos with iReport and you could be featured on CNN.com.

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