Moon and the Galactic Center

A photo composite of multiple exposures. From the photographer: “It only happens twice during the year that the Moon is aligned with the galactic centre while allowing the structure of the Milky Way to be captured without dazzling the scene. The first condition that must be met is that the Moon shows itself as a thin sickle so as not to dazzle the surrounding areas of the sky.

The second condition is that the sickle, which we normally encounter shortly before morning or just after sunset, is aligned with the summer Milky Way. This shows itself shortly before sunrise between January and February and shortly after sunset between October and November. This image was taken at the castle of Palma di Montechiaro and shows the Moon setting over the castle shortly after dusk. In spite of the intrusive lighting you can still perceive the areas rich in dust and stars, Halfa nebulae and various other deep-sky objects. One last thought I would like to dedicate to the lighting of the ruin. I admit that it is evocative to observe the illuminated ruins of the manor house on the cliff at night, but at the same time I cannot help but feel that more effective lighting would have made it possible to enjoy the artistic beauty of the place with more respect for the sky. I hope that the municipality’s administration can take a cue from these words to better enhance the place in respect of dark nights.”

Technical details:
Canon 6dmod, Sigma 85mm
Sky: f/1.4, 3.2 iso 1600 (single)
Landscape: f/2.8, iso 200, HDR from 30 sec to 1/5 sec