Category: Milky Way and other Wide-field Images

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.

Milky Way in Coron

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
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Milky Way | Bacoor

Milky Way imaged from a heavily light-polluted skies of Bacoor, Cavite, just 18 km from Manila. Taken with a Canon 1100D DSLR with kit lens on a DIY tracker. This photo is a stack of 5 frames at 90 seconds sub-exposure, for a total of 7.5 minutes, ISO 400, processed in IRIS.

For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.
Related link: How to Image the Milky Way

Night Sky in Focus 
© Anthony Urbano | Bacoor, Philippines

Milky Way | Bolinao

We went on a road trip to Bolinao, Pangasinan. At daytime, we explored the beaches and tourist spots and at night, we stargazed and imaged the Milky Way! With a sky that is relatively dark, I was able to take a photo of the Milky Way with the resort as foreground.

Milky Way in Bolinao, Pangasinan

For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.
Related link: How to Image the Milky Way

Night Sky in Focus 
© Anthony Urbano | Bacoor, Philippines

Milky Way | Camarines Norte

Milky Way galaxy imaged with a Canon 450D DSLR camera, 18-55 mm lens set at 18 mm, f/3.5, 30 sec exposure, ISO 1600, August 23, 2014, Camarines Norte, Philippines.

milky way aug 23 2014

For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.
Related link: How to Image the Milky Way

Night Sky in Focus 
© Anthony Urbano | Bacoor, Philippines

Celestial Triangle | August 2014

Jupiter (top left), Venus (lower left), and the moon form a celestial triangle on August 24, 2014 at 5 am local time, imaged with a Canon 450D and a 50 mm f/1.8 lens on a tripod.

For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.

Night Sky in Focus 
© Anthony Urbano | Bacoor, Philippines

Milky Way | Caliraya

Milky Way imaged from the dark skies of Caliraya, Quezon. Taken with a Canon S3IS digital camera on a DIY tracker. This photo is a stack of 3 frames at 15 seconds sub-exposure, for a total of 45 seconds, ISO 800, processed in IRIS.

For a complete list of astrophoto images, click here.
Related link: How to Image the Milky Way

Night Sky in Focus 
© Anthony Urbano | Bacoor, Philippines