{"id":33382,"date":"2022-06-21T13:00:37","date_gmt":"2022-06-21T13:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.skyatnightmagazine.com\/?p=109549"},"modified":"2022-06-21T13:08:12","modified_gmt":"2022-06-21T13:08:12","slug":"how-to-photograph-the-milky-way","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/how-to-photograph-the-milky-way\/","title":{"rendered":"How to photograph the Milky Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Pete Lawrence\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 21 June 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Milky Way photography is a great way to begin your journey into astrophotography<\/a> and start capturing the night sky.<\/p>\n

T<\/span>he Milky Way<\/a> represents the plane of our home Galaxy. Its diffuse glow is caused by the light of billions of stars too distant to be seen individually with the naked eye.<\/p>\n

As our Galaxy is shaped like two fried eggs back-to-back, and the Sun sits within the \u2018whites\u2019, two-thirds of the way from the centre, the mistiness appears like a path in the sky; the plane where all the stars are found.<\/p>\n

The path isn\u2019t uniform, something very evident during summer months from a dark sky site.<\/p>\n

\"""\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The Milky Way over Sicily by Dario Giannobile, Punta Bianca, Sicily, 27 June 2020<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

How to find the Milky Way<\/strong><\/h2>\n

From the UK, the Milky Way brightens as it passes south through the Northern Cross asterism<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s made more dramatic by a dark dust cloud blocking some of the Milky Way\u2019s light, known as the Cygnus Rift.<\/p>\n

During summer, if your skies are good and dark, it\u2019s obvious that as the Milky Way passes out of the southern end of Cygnus<\/a>, interesting things are happening.<\/p>\n

However, from the UK, its low altitude makes seeing this quite difficult.<\/p>\n

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The Milky Way by Kat Lawman, Dorset, 24 May 2020. Equipment: Canon 6D Mark II DSLR camera, Samyang 14mm lens<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Passing down into Sagittarius<\/a>, we reach the bright core of our Galaxy. Here atmospheric extinction reduces its appearance but a camera can help restore at least some of its impact.<\/p>\n

As it flows south through Cygnus, one portion meanders towards the northeast corner of Ophiuchus<\/a> where it comes to an end.<\/p>\n

The main thread passes down through Aquila and into Scutum where there\u2019s a bright feature, the Scutum Star Cloud.<\/p>\n

It then appears to widen, an effect caused by the core bulge.<\/p>\n

From locations further south where the core is able to climb high in the sky, it can be impressive, even casting blurry shadows under the right conditions.<\/p>\n

From the UK, its low altitude means we see it through a thick layer of atmospheric haze.<\/p>\n

For more help, read our guide on how to see the Milky Way<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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Milky Way from Hoya Redonda by Jos\u00e9 J. Chamb\u00f3 Bris, Hoya Redonda, Spain. Equipment: Canon EOS 350D, Canon 18-135mm lens<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

Prepare to capture your Milky Way photograph<\/strong><\/h2>\n

For the best views of the Milky Way, you will need a location that\u2019s dark and free of light pollution<\/a>.\u00a0A flat southern horizon is highly recommended.<\/p>\n

These conditions are often met by south-facing coasts, though they can be achieved inland. Have a read of our guide to astronomy by the coast<\/a> for more advice.<\/p>\n

Choose a moonless night, and time your session for when the Milky Way\u2019s core region is high in the sky.<\/p>\n

The last week of July until 4 August and 20 August until the end of the month are good in 2022.<\/p>\n

You can get Moon phases and times sent directly to your email inbox by signing up to receive the <\/strong><\/em>BBC Sky at Night Magazine<\/strong><\/a> e-newsletter<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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The peak of the \u2018Milky Way season\u2019 is around the June solstice. Credit: Jamie Carter<\/span><\/figcaption><\/div>\n

The core can be photographed using a camera on a static mount, and even certain smartphones.<\/p>\n

However, when photographing the Milky Way the best results will come from a DSLR\/MILC camera with a medium- to wide-angle lens on a tracking mount.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll need to do some image processing<\/a> to get the best out of the results, and you need to consider shooting at low to mid-low ISO values.<\/p>\n

Go too high and the amplification nature of ISO will work against you, delivering shots that will degrade rapidly when pushed.<\/p>\n

For more help with this, read our guide on how to use a DSLR camera<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However you do it, July and August are great months to capture the beauty of our Galaxy. Once you\u2019ve captured a good image, try your hand at making a Milky Way mosaic<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Equipment<\/strong><\/h2>\n
  • To photograph the Milky Way, you will need:<\/li>\n
  • Tripod or tracking mount<\/li>\n
  • DSLR, MILC or night-sky capable smartphone<\/li>\n
  • Remote release<\/li>\n<\/ul>

    Photograph the Milky Way, step by step<\/strong><\/h2><\/body><\/html>\n
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