Astrophotography Blog: Mountain Astrophotography

Showing posts with label Mountain Astrophotography. Show all posts

Sunday, October 6, 2019

Southern Hemisphere Astrophotography

If you have only observed the stars of the Northern Hemisphere and have never seen the southern night sky, then you have only seen part of the story. The Southern Hemisphere sky offers a different and in many ways richer view of the universe, with features that are either difficult or impossible to see from northern latitudes.

Among the most famous southern sky objects are the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud, two nearby irregular dwarf galaxies visible to the unaided eye under dark skies. The southern sky also contains the Southern Cross (Crux), the brilliant stars Alpha and Beta Centauri, and some of the brightest and most detailed sections of the Milky Way.

This post shows several examples of my Southern Hemisphere astrophotography from Bolivia and Chile, where the high altitude and very dark skies reveal an extraordinary amount of detail.

One of the most unforgettable sights in the southern sky is the view of the Magellanic Clouds.

This photo was taken in Bolivia near Hotel Tayka del Desierto, Ojo de Perdiz, at an altitude of about 4,600 meters (15,000 feet). It shows the southern night sky with the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and a reddish glow near the horizon caused by airglow.

Southern Hemisphere astrophotography with the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds over Bolivia near Ojo de Perdiz

Southern Hemisphere Astrophotography Magellanic Clouds Bolivia

The two cloud-like patches of light are the neighbouring galaxies known as the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud. They are among the closest galaxies to our own Milky Way and are a spectacular sight with the naked eye, binoculars, or a telescope. For an observer from the Northern Hemisphere, seeing them for the first time is one of the most memorable experiences in astronomy.

Another remarkable feature of the southern sky is the combination of the Southern Cross, Alpha Centauri, Beta Centauri, and the bright southern Milky Way.

Southern Hemisphere night sky over Chile with the Magellanic Cloud, Southern Cross, Alpha Centauri, Beta Centauri, and the Milky Way

Southern Hemisphere Astrophotography: Magellanic Cloud, Southern Cross, Alpha and Beta Centauri, Milky Way - Chile

This part of the southern sky contains some of the most beautiful wide-angle targets for nightscape astrophotography. The dense Milky Way star fields, bright southern constellations, and nearby galaxies make the view especially impressive under dark skies.

The next image shows part of a Milky Way panorama, where different colors of the night sky are also visible.

Southern Hemisphere Milky Way panorama showing natural colors of the night sky and airglow

Southern Hemisphere Astrophotography - Colors of Night Sky

Under very dark conditions, the southern sky reveals not only rich Milky Way structure but also subtle natural atmospheric colors. These tones can include reddish and greenish airglow, adding even more beauty to the panorama.

Southern Hemisphere astrophotography from Chile showing the bright southern Milky Way under dark skies

Southern Hemisphere Astrophotography - Chile Astrophotography

In this panorama I intentionally did not keep the horizon flat. I used a middle position where the Milky Way looks almost like a straight line, while the horizon becomes curved. This gives a stronger panoramic effect and better shows the scale of the southern night sky.

Southern Hemisphere Milky Way panorama over Bolivia with the Milky Way nearly straight and the horizon curved below

Southern Hemisphere Milky Way panorama over Bolivia, shown with the Milky Way nearly straight while the horizon forms a curved line

Southern Hemisphere Milky Way over mountains in Bolivia under dark high-altitude skies

Southern Hemisphere Milky Way Mountain Bolivia Astrophotography

For anyone interested in astronomy or astrophotography, traveling south opens a completely different view of the universe. The Magellanic Clouds, Southern Cross, Centauri stars, and the brilliant southern Milky Way make the Southern Hemisphere night sky one of the most rewarding sights on Earth.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

Canon 60Da Milky Way Astrophotography Catskill Mountains Upstate NY New York

Two simple, minimalistic Milky Way images from my first nights testing the Canon 60Da in the Catskills.
Even single exposures showed a huge improvement over my old Canon 40D.

During my early tests with the Canon EOS 60Da in the Catskill Mountains, I captured two very simple single-frame Milky Way images. Both were taken with the Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L II USM using only a fixed tripod. Even without stacking, the 60Da immediately revealed more detail and sensitivity than my older Canon 40D.

These photos became some of my favorite early 60Da shots—minimalistic, quiet, and very natural-looking. Sometimes a single exposure tells the story better than a complex stacked image.

“Now I know where the Milky Way comes from.”

Canon 60Da Milky Way astrophotography in the Catskill Mountains with rooftop foreground, minimalistic wide-angle night sky image.

Canon 60Da Milky Way Astrophotography Catskill mountains

This first image became unintentionally philosophical. In the lower part of the frame you can see the roof of the bungalow where we stayed in the Catskills. Just above it, the Milky Way rises perfectly—almost as if it starts right from the roof. A small tree is visible on the bottom-right, and the entire scene is extremely minimalistic.

Camera settings were: 9 sec, f/2.8, ISO 12800 using the Canon 60Da and an ultra-wide 16–35mm lens.

A Tree Under the Milky Way

Canon 60Da Milky Way astrophotography in Upstate New York with tree silhouette and bright Milky Way core in minimalistic wide-angle composition.

Canon 60Da Milky Way Astrophotography Upstate NY New York

The second image shows a large tree in silhouette with the Milky Way rising directly above it. Another very simple and minimalistic frame. It beautifully demonstrates how much more detail the Canon 60Da can capture compared to the older Canon 40D—more stars, better color, and higher contrast in the Milky Way core.

This exposure was slightly longer: 15 sec, Canon EOS 60Da, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM Ultra Wide Angle Lens, F2.8, ISO 12800.

These two early Canon 60Da images became part of two small “visual stories” in my astrophotography. The first story is about the question “Where does the Milky Way come from?” — in the Catskills it seems to rise straight from the roof of our bungalow, and later in Yellowstone it appears to rise from the Old Faithful geyser. Two completely different landscapes, but the same cosmic river flowing upward.

The second story is about trees and stars. The tree in this Catskills image became the first part of a theme I continued years later in Bethel, New York — capturing another tree under the Milky Way and reflecting on the idea that we have more trees on Earth than stars in our galaxy. A simple comparison, but very beautiful in astrophotography.