Starry night

A quick test of the 9mm F1.7 best viewed full size.
The light pollution was from a school camp in the next paddock.

I didn't use the tripod or the star tracker. This is what the RAW looks like - stuck pixels and all....

Some interesting traces in there.
Dicky.

Wow you don't get to see the milky way or stars like that in the UK 😍

I can remember seeing the Milky Way in the south of England when I was a small boy and the blackout was in force. That would be in 1944 or 45.

There is now a Dark Sky area in the county of Durham where you can see the stars. And I presume you can see them in the Scottish Highlands.
gostargazing.co.uk/regions/county/county-durham/

Don

On a trip to southern England many years ago I camped on a beach by Hengisbury Head and stepped out the tent in the early hours (as you sometimes need to do 😄) and saw the moonless sky so full of stars the sight is forever etched into my memory.

I'm not sure but I think it's the Magellanic Cloud not the milky way. You can see the two 'pointers' to the Southern Cross (lower centre) and the Cross above them. If it is the Magellanic Cloud then the dark patch is the 'coal sack'.

There is a lot of light pollution where I am so I need to venture more into the countryside and maybe the cotswolds to see more of the stars. It has been sunny here believe it or not but very hazy even at night so not been able to see that many stars lately.

San x

I too remember the late 1940s. In those days blind freddy could see the milky way almost any moonless night; but alas light pollution, not to mention Mr. Musk's satellites have made star gazing quite difficult.

Can you actually see the satallites? I thought they were planes.

Those streaks are probably small meteorites Musk's satellites show up as a string of dashes. I'll try to dig out an example and post it.
Dicky.

ok cool thank you DickyOz.

I have the impression (correct me if I’m wrong) that astrophotographs show more than the naked eye can see- and so it’s possible that no-one sees them like that! 😀

Satellites usually appear as very steady white lights that move at a steady pace and never change direction. They are best seen in the first couple of hours after dusk when the sun has set, but the satellite is still in sunlight because it is maybe 200 miles up.

The International Space Station should become visible from Birmingham tonight soon after 10.35pm and track across the northern sky from West to East, remaining visible for a couple of minutes or so. If the weather permits, of course!

Nice to see Dicky and nice to see you here as well!

Andrew

Lovely Dicky especially the first one 👍

Thanks Andrew, I hope you and your family are well again; perhaps with the warmer weather the aches and pains will fade. It will be winter here in just over a week and it promises to be a cold one - at least by our standards 😄
I haven't got used to this thread handling yet, I miss the DPReview weekly thread. It is hard to keep track of all the 'old' faces.
Dicky.

Thank you - good to catch up again.

Nice to see stars, Dicky. I like the first one best. Rich

Good to see that the 9mm is up to the task even wide open. Nice photos!

Thank you. I am really pleased with that lens. It was on special at Christmas so I couldn't resist. When using the tracker I will stop it down a bit and lower the ISO.
Dicky.