How to Image the Milky Way

In the Philippines, the Milky Way is most prominent in the sky during months of March to May each year, visible to the unaided eye in the southeastern horizon at around 1 to 3 am.

Any DSLR camera or smartphone with good camera may be used to photograph the Milky Way. To capture the Milky Way:

1. Set the lens’ focal length to wide-field (18 mm). Milky way is a large target.
2. Set the exposure time to 30 seconds.
3. Set the aperture to widest opening (f/1.8).
4. Set the ISO value to maximum (ISO 3200).
5. Turn off the camera’s flash.
6. Attach the camera to a tripod.
7. Set the focus to manual mode.
8. Focus on a distant target such as a star.
9. Use the app Stellarium to find the Milky Way.
10. Turn on the camera’s time-delay feature.
11. When ready, press the shutter to take a photo.

Related link: DIY Sky Tracker

Night Sky in Focus 
© Anthony Urbano | Bacoor, Philippines