The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy that contains our Solar System. It is composed of hundreds or billions of stars, gas, and dust and is thought to be 13.6 billion years old.
The Milky Way is a popular choice for nightscape photography. Over the years, I have used a number of great camera lenses for astrophotography. The Sigma 24mm F/1.4 is perhaps the most impressive lens for astrophotography overall due to its incredibly fast aperture.
To get the most out of your Milky Way image, you’ll want to get to a dark location (Bortle 4 or better), shoot during the new moon phase, and use a star tracker for long exposure images. Even a moderately long exposure of 60 seconds will record many more stars than your eyes could ever see.
The Milky Way looks different depending on which hemisphere you are in. For example, in the Southern Hemisphere, the galactic center rises high overhead in the winter months.
Astrophotography is all about capturing the beauty of the night sky, but choosing the right location is just as important as your gear. So, how do you find the best places to shoot the stars when you don’t have the benefit of living under dark skies? Here’s everything you need to know to choose the…
If you followed along with our adventure to Star Stuff III in Byron Bay, then you know we traveled to Uluru as part of our two-week stay in Australia. Not only did we want to see and experience the outback, but we wanted the best chances for clear, dark skies in the desert to see…
The Milky Way in the Southern Hemisphere is a sight to behold for any stargazer or casual observer. Not only does it contain constellations, nebulae, and stars not found in the northern hemisphere sky, but it also showcases the bright galactic center of the Milky Way overhead. From a dark sky location without the interference…
We have just returned from a memorable astrophotography trip at a Bortle 1 dark sky site. The event was an annual star party hosted by the Oklahoma City Astronomy Club known as the Okie-Tex Star Party. After a few location changes during the first several years, the star party found its home at Camp Billy…
Nightscape photography involves capturing a landscape-style image at night. It can include the beautiful Milky Way, a starry sky, or your favorite constellation. This is a type of astrophotography where long exposure images are taken to reveal the beautiful light of a seemingly ‘dark’ sky. Star photography requires quality optics, and some camera lenses are better…
I recently returned from an unforgettable astrophotography trip where I photographed the Milky Way under some of the darkest skies in the Eastern United States. The Cherry Springs Star party is an annual astronomy event where night sky enthusiasts come together to appreciate the true beauty of an unspoiled night sky. In this post, I’ll…
The Cherry Springs Star Party is an annual astronomy event held in Coudersport, PA. This incredible gathering of amateur astronomers always coincides with the new moon for truly breathtaking views of the Milky Way. The lack of light pollution in this area is the reason for a truly unforgettable view of the night sky. This…
It’s time for another Photoshop tutorial, along with some night sky DSLR photography tips. This time, the subject is our glorious Milky Way galaxy. There is nothing more humbling than spending a night under the band of stars seen from within our barred spiral galaxy. The true beauty of our universe is displayed in the arching…