# Starry, Starry Night



## buzz sawyer (Apr 6, 2022)

While in the Keys, I went out at about 4AM one morning to get this shot of the Milky Way. It was a deserted road facing the Atlantic so nice and dark. I still had to stack three 10 sec exposures. That's Venus lower left and Mars just to the lower right of Venus. Next day I got this sunset. Due to the refection, it looks like the sun is melting into the Key. The dock is about two miles away and the land is about 7 miles away. You know how far away the sun is.


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## anlrolfe (Apr 6, 2022)

My son did Sea Base to Key West on a sailboat with his Scout Troop.
If I'd done a trip like that as a young man I may never have come back.


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## SS396driver (Apr 6, 2022)

Great pics ,me and a buddy rode from fort Kent Maine to Key west on route 1 in 2012. So we hit both end got a first U.S. mile sticker and a end US 1 key west sticker


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## djg james (Apr 7, 2022)

buzz sawyer said:


> While in the Keys, I went out at about 4AM one morning to get this shot of the Milky Way. It was a deserted road facing the Atlantic so nice and dark. I still had to stack three 15 sec exposures. That's Venus lower left and Mars just to the lower right of Venus. Next day I got this sunset. Due to the refection, it looks like the sun is melting into the Key. The dock is about two miles away and the and is about 7 miles away. You know how far away the sun is.


Nice Milky Way shot. What focal length, f stop etc. Software for stacking? I'd like to give it a try.


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## buzz sawyer (Apr 8, 2022)

djg james said:


> Nice Milky Way shot. What focal length, f stop etc. Software for stacking? I'd like to give it a try.


Nikon D5200 (for the articullating rear screen), Tokina 11-16 lens at 11mm w/Sky filter to reduce ambient light, F2.8, iso 4000, three ten sec. exposures, camera stacking mode with "gain" off to allow more light. Also some post lightening up in MS "photo" program. I had done several using 10 - 15 sec exposures and anywhere from 1600 - 4000 iso. The shorter exposure gave slightly shorter star tracks but a little more grain. I waited for a moonless night. There is a free software for stacking that allows many more frames. I'm hesitant to download because you never know what they may be tracking on your computer. Get a red flashlight to see what you're doing so it doesn't affect your night vision.


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## moresnow (Apr 15, 2022)

Where did you catch the sunset? Caribbean Club K.Largo by chance? Amazing how fast the sun disappears when it hits the horizon! 
I may have watched that sunset a few times!


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## buzz sawyer (Apr 15, 2022)

moresnow said:


> Where did you catch the sunset? Caribbean Club K.Largo by chance? Amazing how fast the sun disappears when it hits the horizon!
> I may have watched that sunset a few times!


At the Marathon, FL end of old 7 mile bridge. See photo. From the red circle on the right to around the red circle on the left.


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## moresnow (Apr 15, 2022)

I know the area well. Oh my, the traffic


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