Although in the desert there is loneliness, coldness, isolation and sometimes desperation, the nighttime stars keep luring back Tian Jinrui.

The 30 year-old Ningxia Hui autonomous region resident has been an astronomy photographer since 2017, and Ningxia’s deserts are now among his favorite locations to capture pictures of stars.

Self-taught, he has mastered both the skills of astronomy photography and gained solid knowledge of the galaxy and universe.

While he has encountered challenges like sandstorms in spring, heat waves in summer and unbearable cold in winter, nothing stops his hikes into the desert.