A Celestial Spectacle: My First Milky Way Arch Panorama
This past week, I had the incredible opportunity to capture my very first Milky Way arch panorama. It was a truly magical experience, and I'm absolutely thrilled with how the image turned out, especially the subtle yet captivating airglow present in the shot.
While the sky wasn't entirely free from the intrusion of light domes, the overall quality of the night was excellent, providing a perfect canvas for this celestial display. In the photograph, you can spot my friend right alongside my setup, engrossed in their own pursuit of capturing the beauty of Rho Ophiuchi, mirroring my own passion.
Location: Artvize, Slovenia
This panorama was a labor of love, crafted with the following equipment and settings:
- Camera: Nikon Z6
- Lens: Samyang 24mm f/1.4 @ f/2.8
- Panorama Composition: 15 panels (5 horizontal rows stitched vertically)
- Exposure: 13 seconds per image
- ISO: 1600
- Sky Quality: Bortle 4
For stitching the panorama, I utilized Microsoft's Image Composite Editor. While it does a commendable job, for more intricate work, dedicated software like PTGui is often recommended. The final touches and edits were performed in Adobe Photoshop.
This endeavor has only fueled my passion for astrophotography, and I'm already looking forward to the next clear night and the opportunity to capture more wonders of the cosmos.
