Milky Way Above the Aristarchos Telescope

A photo composite of multiple exposures. From the photographer: “My first visit to Helmos Observatory was back in 2020 when we (a group of four photographers) organized an excursion just after the COVID-19 global quarantine. Then, I used an APS-C sensor type DSLR camera; with excellent colours and dynamic range and an excellent choice at its price. At the end of July, I went to the same spot again, although this time with different equipment; a full-frame DSLR and quality lenses. In addition, throughout these two years, my techniques and my way of the shooting have improved, so it was a completely different experience.

In this image, you can see clearly the famous summer constellation of Scorpius, Airglow, Light Pollution, the Aristarchos Telescope of the Helmos Observatory, as well as a girl watching the night sky for the first time in such a dark location. Let’s hear her impressions: It was my first time staring at the night sky and actually seeing the stars, the constellations, the planets, and the milky way like this, a majestic view that made me realize the broad spectrum of our galaxy. I wore four layers of clothing to keep myself warm at an altitude of 2340 meters. Yet, there was some other kind of coldness surrounding me, that was not because of the height; I got to anticipate that I was gazing at the eternal; constellations named after our ancestors. Even if you already know that theoretically, it’s different when you get there and see it – our ephemerality as opposed to the universe’s longevity and continuation. Maybe it should not scare us; After all, we are, in a way, part of this longevity, and we will continue our being along with the universe.”

Technical Details: This image is an exposure blend, where I used a diffuser filter in the sky in order to make the Scorpius constellation a bit more obvious. Move the slider on the image to recognize the constellation.