Capturing the Cosmos: A 40-Panel Milky Way Arch Panorama from Tenerife

As an astrophotographer, there are certain celestial events and vistas that call to you, dreams that fuel your passion. For me, one such dream was to capture a sweeping 180° panorama of the Milky Way, complete with razor-sharp details and a compelling foreground. After much anticipation and effort, I finally achieved this goal on a recent trip to Mount Teide in Tenerife, and the result is a mosaic that I'm incredibly proud of.

40 Panel Milky Way Arch Panorama at Mount Teide, Tenerife

The Vision and the Challenge

The ambition was to create a massive panorama that truly immersed the viewer in the grandeur of our galaxy. This involved capturing 40 individual panels, meticulously planned and executed to ensure a seamless blend of the night sky and the iconic Roques de Garcia landscape.

The Technical Symphony: How it was Made

Creating an image of this scale and quality is a complex process that involves multiple techniques:

HaRGB | Mosaic | Tracked | Stacked | Composite: These terms represent the core techniques used. HaRGB combines the detail from Hydrogen-alpha (Hα) narrowband data with the color information from RGB data. A mosaic was essential for the wide field of view, and tracking allowed for long exposures to capture faint light. Stacking reduced noise, and compositing brought all the elements together.

Sky Captures:

Camera: Sony A7III
Lens: Sigma 28-45 f/1.8 at 28mm
Mount: Skywatcher Star Adventurer 2i
Settings: ISO 1000 | f/1.8 | 3x60s per Panel
Panorama: 8x3 Panel Panorama

Foreground Captures:

Settings: ISO 2500 | f/1.8 | 75s per Panel
Panorama: 8x2 Panel Panorama

Halpha (45mm) Data:

Settings: ISO 2500 | f/2 | 10x120s

The separate captures for the sky and foreground, along with the Halpha data, were crucial for achieving optimal detail and color in the final composite. The specific settings were chosen to balance light gathering, sharpness, and noise reduction for each element of the panorama.

The Location: Roques de Garcia, Tenerife

Mount Teide National Park in Tenerife is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a renowned dark sky location. The unique volcanic landscapes of Roques de Garcia provided a dramatic and fitting foreground for the celestial spectacle above. The high altitude and minimal light pollution create an ideal environment for astrophotography, allowing the Milky Way to shine in all its glory.

The Result

This 40-panel mosaic is more than just a photograph; it's a culmination of passion, planning, and technical skill. It's an invitation to gaze upon the vastness of space and appreciate the beauty that lies beyond our everyday world. I hope this image inspires you as much as the experience of creating it inspired me.

(Note: The original post mentions "2 red clouds" on the right side of the picture. These are likely due to the H-alpha emissions from nebulae within the Milky Way, particularly prominent in certain star-forming regions.)

I wish I could be back there right now, under that incredible sky. Until then, I'll keep dreaming and capturing.