MILKY WAY PANORAMA

Namibia's dry air and exceptionally dark skies are excellent for astrophotography. I created this image by stitching together ten overlapping frames, each exposed for 20 seconds. My selected location was the Mesosaurus Fossil Site north-west of Keetsmanshoop. During an earlier daylight visit, I identified the potential of dolerite rock columns and quiver trees to form interesting silhouettes, making a strong foreground for this late night panorama. The image includes the brightest part of the Milky Way, within which lies the centre of our galaxy.

F/2. 20 seconds, ISO 3200
Accepted: Olympic (Greece) 2015 - Aphrodite, Apollo and Zeus