best uk milkyway shots?

[stumpusmaximus]

What is the best I can hope for shooting the milkyway from the UK?
I've seen some fantastic photos on here but not spotted any yet from the UK... am I too far north?
I only got into astrophotography last summer and would be grateful of any replies.

[samsen]

1- Where in UK are you living?
In other words do you have a jet black sky or one of the typical light polluted near city skies?

That makes one of the important points you need to pay attention. As if you have light polluted sky, you need to plan to move out of as much as needed to find the right sky.

2- Time of night. You need to go out on a night that moon is not there. So even first few days of moon calender are fine as moon is small and will set quick.

3- Where is Milky Way? Also When? Look at google skymap or likewise. There are plenty of free software out there that let you know when and where to fine milky way. i.e. It is not in same location all the time and all the season. Now add that to your local forecast and cloud or clear sky report (You said UK? Best of luck).

4- Set you gears right and neat.
You will be out there for a long time in middle of night or early morning hours.
Be prepare for temperature.
Have red light for helping you move around - Your eyes see better with red light as opposed to normal flash light. You may cover a normal flash light with red nylon, gel etc.
Tripod, needless to say steady one.
Your wide angle lens (If not a fisheye) preferably with wide F number (Smaller numbers).
Know how to use you manual focus, manual exposure, ISO bottom, etc as these can be very frustrating things to be discovered on a cold dark night in middle of no where.

5- Power of trial and error. Start with F1.8 or 2 if you have the luxury or widest that your lens permit. Try ISO 3200 and 10 second. You can add easily on time with no fear of startracing if you have ultra wide or fisheye or better stick with max of 10-15 second to minimize it with longer focal length lenses. Then try to reduce or increase ISO till you feel happy about your image. Then if possible try to widen the diaphragm and count any number you can to reach the widest, compensate at the same rate by decreasing your ISO. Try again. If image is fine (Make sure you know how to use zoom function of preview LCD to check for critical focus and brightness etc), you are there, enjoy rest of night, be ready to move you camera westward as time goes by as MW is on the move too.

Don't let technical issues and short comings otherwise bother you. Just DO IT with what ever you have but after you are done with all the homework part of it. Have fun.

[hollis_f]

From this site -

Sussex Downs

"There are some good dark sites in the South Downs," says Steve Owens, with the South Downs Planetarium a feature of the gentle hills around East Dean and Upwaltham.

You're just along the coast from me, so I guess we have similar problems with light pollution. I have a big problem with Crawley and Gatwick to the north, but I haven't got round to finding a suitable site, having just moved down recently.

[Mark Brim]

Your not going to be able to see the galactic center, like you see in alot of the SH shots on here, with Sagittarius etc! but on a clear night you can still get great shots with alot of stars and dust. Here are some of mine:

Milkyway by Mark Brim, on Flickr


Untitled by Mark Brim, on Flickr


Cygnus by Mark Brim, on Flickr

wide10mm by Mark Brim, on Flickr

250mm by Mark Brim, on Flickr

Untitled by Mark Brim, on Flickr

Untitled by Mark Brim, on Flickr

Orion, Pleiades by Mark Brim, on Flickr
[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/markbrim/6704142557/]

MOst of these were taken from my back garden, i live in a town in Northumberland. Ive yet to make the trip to kielder on a very clear night to witness very dark skies!

[samsen]

Impressive Mark.

Well if you need to find a dark location near yourself, may be you want to check this video clip on youtube.
Look at 2:40 minute time mark. Hopefully you find your best location but no mater what, start from backyard and then see where you can get next. Needless to say, love to see your first shoots.

L I N K

[shikhan]

Samsen, you mentioned that you can use google skymap to figure out where the milky way is. Can you elaborate on how you do this - as far as I've been able to tell, it doesn't show the milky way by default.

[samsen]

Yes. If you use any smart phone, you should be able to easily download that app that is free for android phone. I use it on Evo 4. Here is the _ L I N K _

This is a really amazing software that becomes mobile on your cellphone (as we call it in this side of pond, probably "Mobile" on that side of water). I definitely recommend it to you. In addition to ability to point it to anywhere and any side of sky to see what is up there at that direction, or stars and constellations even below horizon or on the other side of world, it let you use search function. For eg you can enter "Saturn" as search keyword and arrows appear, directing you towards the Saturn and when you are correctly pointing to it, circle confirms your correct view. You should try it and I am sure you will like it. Give it a chance.

Also there are other programs out there for free that give you correct to local time, sky above you. Again google it and you will see your options.

BTW it is quite important to know when and where milky way is, as if it is very close to horizon, you may not see it even in best dark sky.

[Mark Brim]

Originally Posted by shikhan

Samsen, you mentioned that you can use google skymap to figure out where the milky way is. Can you elaborate on how you do this - as far as I've been able to tell, it doesn't show the milky way by default.

If your sky map doesn't show the milky way, find what constellations are in it, then locate the constellations on skymaps....but if your skys arent dark enough for you to locate the milky way by eye..chances are youll not get a good picture

[shikhan]

Originally Posted by samsen

Yes. If you use any smart phone, you should be able to easily download that app that is free for android phone. I use it on Evo 4. Here is the _ L I N K _

This is a really amazing software that becomes mobile on your cellphone (as we call it in this side of pond, probably "Mobile" on that side of water). I definitely recommend it to you. In addition to ability to point it to anywhere and any side of sky to see what is up there at that direction, or stars and constellations even below horizon or on the other side of world, it let you use search function. For eg you can enter "Saturn" as search keyword and arrows appear, directing you towards the Saturn and when you are correctly pointing to it, circle confirms your correct view. You should try it and I am sure you will like it. Give it a chance.

Also there are other programs out there for free that give you correct to local time, sky above you. Again google it and you will see your options.

BTW it is quite important to know when and where milky way is, as if it is very close to horizon, you may not see it even in best dark sky.

I have Google Skymap on my phone, and while I love it, I'm not sure how to find the milky way with it; thats what i'm trying to figure out.

Mark,
Is there a site or set of known constellations that I can look for?

[SteveInNZ]

It doesn't show the milky way. None of the free ones that I've seen, do.
It would probably pay to load Stellarium on to your desktop. That will give you an idea of where to look and what bright stars are in the region. Then use Skymap to guide you to that area.

[samsen]

Sorry if I am wrong on Skymap but I had milkway on a free software.
Well SteveinNX is quit correct that if you don't see milky way be naked eyes, i.e. sky is excessively poluted by light, then the chance of catching it on the sensor is also not possible as for example with given a typical exposure of ISO 3200, S time of 10-30 secound at your widest F stop, a poluted sky typically turns totally white or a shade of pink/orange that wont let you see even the brightest star.
So look for that jet black sky, think of spending the night or at least up to late hours under that beautiful sky, and you will see it for yourself with no aid needed.

[Mark Brim]

Originally Posted by shikhan

I have Google Skymap on my phone, and while I love it, I'm not sure how to find the milky way with it; thats what i'm trying to figure out.

Mark,
Is there a site or set of known constellations that I can look for?

In the summer months look for the bright star Deneb, found in the summer triangle. once you see Deneb its extremly easy to locate Cygnus (the constellation) which looks like a big cross in the sky...the milky way runs right through that! you can follow it down through to Aquila and Sagittarius. and up to Cassiopeia kinda of area..

[samsen]

SUM: Sent you PM. Check.

Meade autostar suit that comes free with Meade's telescopes shows Milky way. I guess other brand telescopes softwares also do that but remember that for milky way you actually need an ultraWide angle Not a telescope.