Stargazed at Big Bend last weekend and the Milky Way was unreal

I went to Big Bend National Park last Saturday hoping to catch the Perseids, but the Milky Way stole the show right after sunset. The sky was so dark you could see the dust lanes with your naked eye, something I've only seen in photos before. Does anyone know if a simple star tracker would help me get sharper shots of that core detail without spending a fortune?

3 comments

3 Comments

palmer.ryan1mo ago

lol that sucks about the blurry blob, Big Bend is so good it almost feels personal when your gear lets you down. Actually, a buddy of mine went to Big Bend last spring with just a Nikon D5500 and a cheap 50mm lens, no tracker. He said he got some decent core shots by stacking like 30 10-second exposures using free software called Sequator. @brian_murray is right about the SkyGuider though, my same friend borrowed one for a trip to the Grand Canyon and came back with shots that looked like they were from a telescope, it was ridiculous.

brian_murray1mo ago

Stole the show" is right, that place is absurd. I tried the same thing with my phone and a cheap tripod, ended up with a blurry blob I'm calling "artistic nebula." A basic star tracker like the iOptron SkyGuider Pro would definitely help, just don't ask me how to set it up without watching three YouTube tutorials first.

stella_lee14d ago

Totally feel you on the blurry blob situation, I had the same thing happen with my old Sony at a dark site near Sedona last year. It's like the camera just decides to betray you the one time you really need it to cooperate. @brian_murray, your "artistic nebula" comment made me laugh because that's exactly what I told myself to feel better too. I ended up upgrading to the SkyGuider Pro after that trip and yeah, it's a game changer, but setting it up still involves me muttering at my phone for at least 20 minutes.