High Sierra Night Sky

[rainbow]

This was taken a few weeks ago in the Southern High Sierras. It was a 30 sec exposure at f/3.5 with my 40D and 10mm (-22mm zoom). What I liked is that it shows the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) in the bottom left. If you draw a line from the two bottom stars and follow it upward and to the right, you will locate Polaris, the North Star. It is the end star on the Little Dipper (Ursa Minor) and you can trace this constellation up and to the left. You can also see the multitude of stars visible when away from the city.

http://dwdong.smugmug.com/photos/625116159_bXBwP-L.jpg

Now here is what is neat. After viewing the photo from a normal viewing distance on your monitor, move farther back. The brighter magnitude stars begin to stand out as the dim stars fade away and the two constellations stand out for easy viewing.

[SKnight]

Man that is gorgeous! Makes me itch to get the scope out again!

[rwells]

Makes me wish I was out of the city.

[DaddyO]

Nice one. Neat you well placed the foreground interest in your composition.
Thats nailing it. :thumb

Cassiopeia to the right and Perseids just below.

We are so losing our night skies to light pollution. Which is sorry as can be.

[rainbow]

[quote=DaddyO]Nice one. Neat you well placed the foreground interest in your composition.
Thats nailing it. :thumb

Cassiopeia to the right and Perseids just below.

We are so losing our night skies to light pollution. Which is sorry as can be.[/quote

We were out there looking for the Perseid Meteor Showers (we saw six in twenty minutes) that originated in the Perseids. I make an annual trip here and gazing at the heavens at night is always treasured.

Thanks for looking and the feedback.