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Milky Way in California's Eastern Sierra in August

In the Northern Hemisphere the bright, complex center of our Milky Way Galaxy is visible above the horizon if you can find an area with dark skies (little light pollution from cities).  This was taken in early August, when the Milky Way is visible to the southwest.  To an observer as the night goes by the Milky Way moves right and tilts up on the left side, and at 10:45 pm it had a tilt perfect for vertical compositions.

The Milky Way in the Eastern Sierra in August

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Jeff Sullivan

Jeff Sullivan leads landscape photography workshops in national parks and public lands throughout California and the American West.

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  • Under dark skies on a moonless night (before the moon has risen or after it has set), the Milky Way is visible to the eyes, just like this +Al Alvera.  It takes about 20-30 minutes for your eyes to gain maximum sensitivity for night vision, so I set my camera before leaving the car, and I try not to use lights after that.  In many places, where there are not lots of trees to block the light, the light of the Milky Way alone is bright enough that you can see the landscape well enough to walk around and set up your shots.  In that first 20 minutes before your eyes have fully adjusted you can still see the brightest stars and the general stripe of the Milky Way, so you notice where those stars are in your viewfinder to line up the composition.

  • Under starie sky's the opportunity of watching them and taking the pictures had to be great.

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