For the fifth year Astronomical Society of Albury Woodonga organised a spectacular star party – Border Stargaze. This year’s stargaze was exceptional in many ways including clear weather for the whole week.
Everyone was busy observing the sky with telescopes small and large at night and I had two cameras clicking away. The result is this three minute (my longest yet!) time lapse animation. There are four galaxies – The Milky Way, Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, Andromeda Galaxy and many many stars. The changing sky colour from natural Oxygen glow in the upper atmosphere is quite startling.
Live gum trees in the water are rather special. Lake Hume got very dry and shallow during the severe drought which ended in 2009 and the lake is now full covering the trees.
Music: “Between Light and Shadow” by Triplexity
http://www.jamendo.com/en/album/16739
Equipment used: Nikon D700 with Nikkor 14-24mm lens and Sony NEX-5 with Nikkor 10.5mm fish-eye.
All exposures were 30 seconds, f/2.8 and ISO 3200
Alex Cherney
www.terrastro.com