dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

I leave for Utah in less than three weeks and the idea of photographing the Milky Way has only recently occurred to me. I have been searching through any number of tutorials on the web and gathering a lot of tips--but finding some gaps, too (especially in my knowledge of astronomy).

I'm hoping that some of you on UHH well versed in photographing the Milky Way can verify if I am understanding my window of opportunity correctly.

From mid-April, it looks like the Milky Way will appear around 3:30am and remain visible until about 6-6:30am. The nearly full moon will set at 4:30am the 17th, 5:00am the 18th, and 5:30am the 19th, hopefully leaving me a dark sky. The twilight will be around 6:10am those days in the eastern part of the state. Provided the nights have clear skies, should I be able to photograph the Milky Way during those pre-dawn hours?

Also, it appeared from what I read that the Milky Way is more to the southeastern horizon in April than to the south? I have some preliminary ideas for where I want to compose and can use a compass during the daytime to establish a general orientation if that is correct.

Am I missing any information that would make this a fruitless effort? Guidance from you pros will be much appreciated (as would be the chance to sleep in rather than getting up at 3:30 if I have this all wrong)! :lol:

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

You'll probably get expert advice in the Astronomical Photography Forum:
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/s-109-1.html

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Thanks for making me aware of the other forum, RWR! I've copied the post over to 'Astronimical Photography' now, as well.

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

If you have a smart phone, purchase the app PhotoPills. Plug in your date and coordinates on a map and photopills will give you all that information. In the section I have highlighted, slide it to one of 6 screens to get information like sunrise/sunset, or golden hours, or twilight times., and a ton on other information.

In my iPhone screenshot I placed a pill near Moab, you don't say where you will be. I then slide the highlighted section to the Milky Way, and it tells me the time and elevation at which it will rise, and where in the sky it will be. If you are in that location you can scout it any day or time and set the clock to the time of your visit. Switch to augmented reality, and you can watch the milky way rise, and know just where to set up to catch it at the right time and place.

I believe I set the date to the 15th of April to get this information.

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Capture48, I wonder if you could find that information for Goblin Valley State Park the morning of the 18th and Bluff the morning of the 19th? I don't have a smart phone and won't be able to take a computer with me on this trip. What you shared for Moab looks encouraging, although the 5:30am end of viewing period is cutting it a bit close with the moon not setting until 5am. With my primitive resources, a compass is the best tool I have. :cry:

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

No for a PC, you can use "TPE" The Photographers Ephemeris. This is a free download.

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Found it, now I have to figure out how to use it! As I said, I'm not knowledgeable about astronomy or lat. & long. references.

I have been using a Sunrise/Sunset website for years in order to print a calendar for my trips showing the sunrise/sunset and moonrise/moonset for each zone that I will be traveling in. It helps that it takes into consideration Daylight Savings Time (or not, as in AZ) for each location. As I recall, Monument Valley DOES observe DST.

Just an old dog!

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

TPE has some tutorials, it does not give as much information as PhotoPills, but its a pretty good desktop application. Just add a Pin at the location you want to shoot from. Change the date to the day you want to shoot.

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Just got back home and plan to download the TRE this evening. I'll let you know how it goes.

Mojaveflyer Loc: Denver, CO

As others have stated, TPE is an excellent resource for sun rise / set and moon rise & set. I'd recommend this tutorial that may give you some insight to shooting the Milky Way: https://iso.500px.com/night-sky-photo-tutorial/

Good hunting!

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

Dave Morrow's tutorial is very good--it's the site where I downloaded a chart for focal lengths and exposure times. I found his tutorial through another web address here:
http://www.davemorrowphotography.com/p/tutorial-shooting-night-sky.html
The site you gave has the link to Dave's 'My Website' page toward the bottom, which is what I had stumbled across.
You'll be helping all of us on UHH by recommending this photographer's site for shooting the Milky Way, Mojaveflyer--I found it to be the best.

dlmorris Loc: Loma Linda, Ca

You have pretty much figured it out. Try a reasonably high ISO (too high and you get too much noise), and about 30 sec exposure. If you have a tracker, you can go longer. I like to get some sort of foreground, and shoot while the Milky Way is at some sort of angle to the horizon. I don't care for those shots that go from one horizon to the other, making the Milky Way curve across the sky. Others do.... A matter of preference, I guess. But do use a wide angle lense, and the faster the better. If you have the time and equipment you can make a time lapse movie..

One example from my fIles

big-guy Loc: Peterborough Ontario Canada

Take heart, once you're there you will begin to wonder why you did all this worrying. The Milky Way is visible from North to South all night long. There is more bulk to the south but then you end up with more flattened trails. Pointing north you get the circular trails around the north star. Of course this assumes you are interested in star trail photography, which is just taking multiple shots and stacking them together.

Your basic settings should start at, with a wide angle lens, ISO 1600, SS (24mm) 15 sec - (8 mm) 30 sec (the more wide angle the more time you can capture without showing appreciable movement in the stars) and it goes without saying that your aperture wide open. Adjust your SS and ISO to your desire. Warning: your little screen will not be able to show all the stars, just the brightest but they are there. So don't get too crazy with the ISO and remember to take a few dark frames.

mrtobin Loc: North East Ohio

dmeyer,
The late moon sets that you quoted do not give you much dark time to shoot stars. You also quote that twilight is at 6:30 am, 6:30 am is dawn, sun light, and probably lots of it. You would be best to try when there is a "new" moon, meaning no moon. or at least a late rising moon. As to the location of the Milky Way, you live in the Milky Way, so just look up on a dark and clear night and you will see it:)

dmeyer Loc: Marion, NC

I love your image with the trees in the foreground, and I agree--I prefer the diagonal segment in a composition. But, then again, if I had an ultra wide lens and a great foreground, I might like the arc too. Having never tried night photography, I would be delighted with any part of the Milky Way if it comes out sharp. :lol: