To the Stars!
Our van speckled in stars at Pinnacles National Park Campground - 6 May 2024
I bought my Sigma 24mm prime lens with Milky Way photography in mind. It has not disappointed. More recently I tried my Tamron 50-400 to try zooming in. It also did not disappoint.
The Milky Way is always visible on a clear night in areas of low light pollution. However its Galactic Center or Core is not always visible - it is often below the horizon and only rises in the Northern Hemisphere from February to October - often for only for a few hours a night. The Lunar phase greatly affects this, as a bright moon will wash out the stars. Sometimes I just have to get up in the middle of the night or really really early in the morning after the moon has set and the center has risen. By this time I am often just too sleepy and likely to blow it off…
50mm f/4.5 15 sec 12:22 AM - 4 July 2024
Early morning comparison 50mm f/4.5 1/40 sec 5:06 AM - 4 July 2024
Zoomed in, the movement of the earth is a bit more obvious in the star streaks. 104 mm f/5.6 20 sec 12:14 AM - 4 July 2024
Badlands formations and clouds near the Cedar Pass Campground in Badlands National Park. The formations are lit up by a single light on the bathroom. The glow behind the formations is clouds being lit up by the town of Wall, South Dakota. I woke up at 2AM to take the photos, and another camper arrived right then. I had to wait while they found their tent, got settled, and turned off their car headlights. Bob dragged himself out of bed to help. 15 second exposure. 13 April 2024
Mt. Fitzgerald from Thomas Canyon Campground, Ruby Mountains, Nevada. 24mm f/16 8 sec 9:08 PM - 2 July 2024
The Galactic Center and a few clouds over badlands formations from Cedar Pass Campground, Badlands National Park. I think these formations, although farther away than those in the previous photo, were also being lit up by the bathroom light. 15 second exposure. 13 April 2024
The same photo taken facing further east. You can see a tent completely lit up (and illuminating the one next to it). They had turned off their car headlights and found their tent, but were still getting settled. The colorful lights in the background are from a radio tower, the small town of Interior, and various nearby farms. 15 second exposure 13 April 2024
The Galactic Center behind mesquite trees at the South Rim Campground in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. I got up in the middle of the night to take photos, but didn't leave the campsite as there were bears in the area and I wanted to be able to beat a hasty retreat. 15 second exposure. 22 May 2023
The Galactic Center of the Milky Way, three meteors, and clouds behind our original van, Rainbow Warrior, in the campground at Crane Hot Springs, Oregon. The purple glow is from the lights in the hot spring pool. 15 second exposure. 20 May 2023
The view of the Milky Way looking south from Mesquite Spring Campground, Death Valley National Park. The hills are lit up by a campfire in a nearby campsite. Orion's Belt can be made out in the upper right corner. 25 second exposure. 19 February 2023
The Milky Way behind our original van, Rainbow Warrior, looking north in Mesquite Spring Campground, Death Valley National Park. I believe that is Galaxy M81 or Bode's Galaxy above the van. There is a plane flying low above the horizon on the right. 25 second exposure. 19 February 2023