Perhaps you can tell from my recent blog posts that I have become quite addicted to astrophotography. My first unsuccessful foray gave me quite a scare, but it must be said that I’m getting used to driving off with my gear in the middle of the night. Now my husband has retired from work, he will accompany me if I’m not going too far, but if I’m likely to be away for many hours, then I would rather he stays at home to keep the cats company.
So on my third trip out, I decided to drive alone to Dungeness. It was at least a place that I know well and with the lights from the nearby nuclear power station, it would be impossible to get lost. Parking up not far from the famous Prospect Cottage, I set out across the shingle in the direction of the sea and the little fishing boats. I knew the Milky Way would be positioned over the sea (and therefore facing away from the power station), but I hadn’t bargained on the lighthouse. The image above was shot at midnight with an exposure of ten seconds. By my reckoning, the beam from the lighthouse came round every eight seconds and so I had to be very careful that the little boat was only illuminated once.
The other thing I hadn’t bargained on was the light pollution that is showing as an orange glow in the background. It wasn’t especially visible to the naked eye and although it’s considered a fault by most astrophotographers, I quite like the warmth it adds to the image. Interesting fact – having checked the map carefully the following night, the light can only have originated from France, most likely Boulogne.
Steve Cullum
22 Aug 2020Terrific shot and worth the wait 🙂
Zooey
22 Aug 2020Cheers Steve. I’ve been planning another one for about three months now, but the weather keeps letting me down 🙂
Sid
16 Sep 2020That’s for sure a terrific shot!
Boulogne sur Mer has a weird colour in the night but at the same time fascinating.
Ciao
Sid
Zooey
16 Sep 2020Sid!! I missed you. You’ve been gone for weeks and I was worried about you. Yes – light pollution can work in a positive way, but also in a negative way. I went out the other night and pollution from a nearby pub ruined the image. I will go back next year when the pub is closed. (It’s getting too late for the Milky Way now) 🙂