My First Steps with a Star Tracker: Astrophotography from Omaui, New Zealand

This is my first attempt using a star tracker to compose a wide-field image, and what a learning curve it has been! Taken from the beautiful location of Omaui, New Zealand, this shot represents a significant step forward in my astrophotography journey.

While there are some visible stitching errors and minor trailing issues from merging the foreground and sky elements, I'm not overly bothered. My primary goal for this outing was to familiarize myself with the star tracker and its setup. I was particularly focused on capturing H-alpha detail around the galactic core, and I'm quite pleased with the results in that regard.

This image is a composite of 10 individual photos. The foreground was captured with 2 x 90-second exposures at ISO 800 and f/2.2. For the sky, I took 8 x 90-second exposures at f/2.2 and ISO 200. The gear I used for this session was a Sony a6300 paired with a Viltrox 15mm f/1.7 lens.

I did encounter some challenges with pointing the tracker correctly, and I suspect an L-bracket might be necessary for a more stable and versatile mounting configuration. Despite these initial hurdles, the experience has been incredibly rewarding, and I'm eager to continue refining my techniques. It's amazing to think that even with these minor imperfections, the vastness of our galaxy can be captured from such a familiar local spot. It's truly inspiring!