Drive Safely Between the Milky Way and the Haystack

This is an old photograph from my archive — one that I shared years ago on Flickr and Facebook, but somehow never published on my blog. Probably I was simply too busy at the time. Yet I always liked this image. It belongs to my small but meaningful series of philosophical, minimalistic astrophotography.

The photograph was taken in White Lake, Sullivan County, in the Catskill Mountains of New York State. It is a very simple, single exposure image — but sometimes simplicity tells the strongest story.

Canon EOS 60Da, EF16–35mm f/2.8L II USM
ISO 6400 · f/2.8 · 15 seconds

Drive Safely Between the Milky Way and the Haystack — Minimalist Nightscape, Catskills

With a 15-second exposure, the headlights of a passing car turn into a glowing light path. This streak of light creates an illusion of motion beyond normal driving — it looks like a jump drive, hyperdrive, warp jump, or even an interstellar teleporter.

In the foreground you can see the Haystack, partially blocking the light trail. That small interruption adds depth and makes the scene feel truly three-dimensional. Below it all, near the horizon, the bright central region of the Milky Way quietly glows.

Looking at this image, I can’t help but think: “Drive safely between the Milky Way and the Haystack.”

Sometimes I imagine this photograph as a road sign — something you might see near an observatory or astronomy club. A reminder that even an ordinary night drive can pass through something cosmic.

This image continues my series of minimalistic astrophotography ideas started years ago, including:

• Canon 60Da Milky Way Astrophotography — Catskill Mountains, New York
  Including the image “Now I know where the Milky Way comes from”
• Milky Way over Yellowstone National Park — Old Faithful Geyser
  A “missing” Yellowstone legend — one that connects Old Faithful, nature, and the Milky Way
• A Tree and the Milky Way
  Minimalist astrophotography and scale between Earth and galaxy
• Grand Teton Milky Way Astrophotography
  The “Fifth Element” — a philosophical composition of Earth, water, air, fire, and the Milky Way
• Unintentional Camera Movement Astrophotography
  Motion, light trails, and science-fiction associations

Interestingly, both this image and the photograph from Unintentional Camera Movement Astrophotography often remind me of science-fiction films — especially Back to the Future and Star Wars.

Sometimes astrophotography is not just about stars, but about motion, imagination, and the thin line between everyday reality and the universe beyond.