Airglow, Mars and Milky Way at the Col du Lautaret
Website :
http://maximeoudouxphotographie.fr/
Copyright : Maxime Oudoux
Description :
It's a very special atmosphere to live, when you're alone, at 2:30 AM, in the mountains, to see huge silent flashes (heat lightening) reveal the huge mountains around you. There was no moon, everything was (very) dark and peaceful!
However, the night show was at the rendezvous at the Col du Lautaret, in the french Alps : Mars (in the left of the Meije massif) was incredibly orange in the naked eye, because of the diffusion of its light in the clouds. Behind the massif, lightning flashed at a very high rate (1/2 every 5s or even more sometimes).
The light pollution of cities and Grenoble on the horizon, rather present, contrasts with this very present airglow, formed in bands crossing the sky from one side to the other.
The Milky Way here is not in its best shape and colors : more discreet (the most photogenic part is behind the massif of Meije), with less "flashy" colors, caused by the ambient humidity.
At the top right, the blue star is Vega.
This image, with a "soft and sleek" atmosphere, has been processed and stitched in a great respect of the reality at the level of the colors and ambient lights.
30 images panoramic
2 different exposure time to reveal the floor (no moon, it was really dark), taken at the same place, same time, same gear
Sky : 35mm, f/2.8, 6400ISO, 10s
Ground : 35mm, f/2.8, 6400ISO, 60s
Bigger version :
http://maximeoudouxphotographie.fr/hotl ... ret-MD.jpg
Cana Island and Spike Horn Bay Nightscape by Transient Astronomer, on Flickr
MESSIER 27 by David Duarte, sur Flickr
