Stargazing

I dug out my camera's remote and went back up to the local observatory tonight, as I felt it was only fitting to capture it with a sense of purpose. In one respect, photographing it became a little more difficult because it was surrounded by cars, only feet from the door. However, I wasn't the only one taking advantage of the clear conditions, and was delighted to see the dome doors open, and a lovely blue glow from within. I got chatting to the chaps occupying it once we'd all had enough of the cold, who were a very pleasant bunch and only too keen to discuss some of the difficulties of astrophotography. I must remember to contact them at a later to date to visit my own merry band.

I was happy with the shots I got today. The crisp resolution of the lens meant that I didn't lose too many of the more distant stars, and there was no flare to speak of, which meant that my time in freezing conditions wasn't wasted. And that's important when you're up for work at the crack of dawn.

Nikon D300; Tamron 18-270mm PZD @ 18mm; ISO 400; F/5.6; 112s (bulb mode). VC off.

Another image after the break?