Core blimey

James Paterson explains how you can photograph jawdropping galactic core and light-paint night-time scenes

- James Paterson

Project six: The big project

The Mission - Capture the Milky Way galactic core in nighttime scenes

Time - Two hours

Skill level - Advanced

Kit needed - Tripod - Torch - Wide-angle lens - Astronomy app

Whether you're just getting started with astrophotography or you've been fumbling around in the dark for years, the galactic core of the Milky Way is one of the most spellbinding areas of the night sky. And you don't need a specialized kit to capture it: all you need is your Nikon, a tripod, and a decent wide-angle lens. In this project, we'll show you how to shoot for the core, which settings you need and how to add impact to the shot by light-painting the foreground.

A shoot like this is all about planning. We need to know where the cluster of stars that make up the core will be and when, and we need to know that they'll be visible otherwise there's no point staying up late. (The Milky Way core is only visible at certain times of year.)

It's easiest to capture stars when the sky is at its darkest: this means waiting until the Moon - the brightest object in the night sky - is in the new moon phase. This doesn't necessarily mean you can't capture it at other times. We went out with the moon in its first-quarter phase, with the light at 56% of its full moon strength. By waiting until after the moonset (the time when the moon disappears below the horizon) we could form a clearer picture of the stars.

Shooting stars

PLAN YOUR NIGHT-TIME SHOOT TO ENSURE A CLEAR VIEW OF THE MILKY WAY

1 Bring a tripod

Tiny vibrations can ruin star sharpness, which is why it's vital to have a sturdy tripod. Prevent camera shake by setting mirror lockup or a two-second delay, so that (for DSLRs) the mirror doesn't cause vibrations. A wireless shutter release can also help to prevent shake caused by touching the camera.