Finally got a decent shot of the Orion Nebula after fighting light pollution for years

I live just outside Denver, and the sky glow has always washed out my deep space shots. Last night, I tried stacking 50 one-minute exposures instead of my usual 10 longer ones, and using a specific light pollution filter my friend recommended, the Optolong L-Pro. The difference was crazy. The core details actually popped without looking grainy. Anyone else in a bright area found a filter that really works for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

paulc932mo ago

Light pollution can't be that bad out there, can it?

elliots492mo ago

Oh man, you'd be shocked. I drove out to what I thought was the middle of nowhere last summer, and the sky glow from the nearest town was still a visible orange dome. Ended up needing to check a light pollution map online first to find a truly dark spot. The difference was crazy, like someone turned on a million more stars. It takes more planning than you'd think these days.