Airglow Attack ft. Ladakh: Capturing Earth's Faint Nighttime Glow
Shot in the stillness of a Ladakhi night, this image is a carefully crafted composite. The sky and foreground were captured separately to do justice to both, then blended with care to reflect what the eye could never fully hold in a single frame.
The Milky Way aligned perfectly over the mountains, and faint green airglow shimmered across the upper atmosphere – a rare and subtle phenomenon that only reveals itself under truly dark skies.
What is Airglow?
Airglow is a faint emission from Earth’s upper atmosphere, created by chemical reactions like the recombination of atoms ionized by sunlight. Unlike auroras, airglow is always present – but only visible in pristine skies like those above Ladakh.
The Story Behind the Shot
This wasn’t easy. Freezing winds howled through the night, shaking the setup despite weights. I didn’t have an intervalometer, so each exposure was started and stopped manually, one cold finger at a time. The air was thin, the cold intense – but the silence and stillness made it all feel worth it.
This image is not just about stars – it’s about showing up, adapting, and chasing quiet beauty in harsh places.
Shot Details:
- Sky: 18mm | 153s | ISO 2000 | f/4 (Tracked)
- Foreground: 14mm | 20s | ISO 1250 | f/3.5 | Bracketed exposures
- Composite: Milky Way alignment is spot on.
Gear Used:
- Nikon D7500
- Nikon 18-140mm
- Samyang 14mm
- Moveshootmove MSM Rotator
