A Night to Remember!

The first night we arrived at Big Bend National Park, the skies were as clear as could be, so we found a great place to set up our cameras after it got dark.  We went to bed at 11 PM and set the clock for 2:30 AM wakeup.  We dressed and headed to our spot, and started taking photographs as the Milky Way rose in the east.  We continued to photograph all night until dawn at 6:30AM!  I have never stayed up that long, but this seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime chance.  This is a 10 second exposure of the Milky Way.  It is a "straight" photograph and has not been enhanced at all.  THIS is what the Milky Way looks like from a really dark sky site.  The tones are pearly and there are faint colorations and it is subtle but the Milky Way does not require Photoshop work to add contrast and color.  Subtlety and accuracy of what we see is paramount.  To have a clear night in a dark sky and to stay up until dawn was certainly a night to remember for me!

And as a bonus today, for all of you who stuck with my story this far, here is a photograph of Venus rising in the east, near Casa Grande, the large black shape to the right.  You can still see stars in the ski as the dawn breaks!