As I said last year, one criteria I have for Photo of the Year is capturing something I haven't gotten before. The early contender for 2024 was the total eclipse of the sun experienced in Texas in April, but I already had an eclipse POY in 2017. Instead, I'm going with the Aurora Borealis, aka the Northern Lights, as photographed from my back yard October 11. There isn't much color evident in what I see with my own eyes, but with 30-second exposures and some attention in Photoshop, the colors pop out.

The eclipse gets an honorable mention, as do the Beartooth Pass mountain goats and a moose that wandered through the yard. Other contenders were the various backyard birds, including lots of northern flicker images. I got a little automated telescope called a Seestar, and posted images for the first time of galaxies and nebulae. Our big trips besides Texas in April were to Oregon in September, the Maritimes in October, and some familiar midwestern sites in December.

Photo of the Year - Aurora Borealis

April Eclipse

Beartooth Pass Goats

Backyard Moose