MILKY WAY OVER GRANDIDIER’S BAOBAB

Grandidier's Baobab (Adansonia grandidieri) is the largest of Madagascar's six species of endemic baobab trees (compared to one species in the whole of mainland Africa). On this July evening, the bright core of the Milky Way was high in the sky, with Jupiter just above it. The small Magellanic Cloud can be seen to the right of the baobab, whilst the Large Magellanic Cloud is just breaking the horizon in the centre of the image. A 20 second exposure at F/2 and ISO 3200 has brought out fantastic detail in the Milky Way, whilst the baobab is lit by a little stray artificial light from the small village at the adjacent Avenue of Baobabs.

F/2, 20 seconds, ISO 3200
Accepted: Welsh 2019