Three things to know before you plan
1 · The Core is in the southern sky
From the Southern Hemisphere, look south — the Galactic Core starts to be visible to the south-west in spring and to the south-east in autumn and winter. The further south you are, the higher it sits, and the more composition options you have: the Core can be entirely above the horizon, even overhead. Don't waste planning time on northern-facing compositions.
If you're finding it by eye, look for Sagittarius.
2 · Same location, same direction, same elevation
For a given spot and a given azimuth, the Galactic Centre is always at the same elevation — regardless of the date. It always rises in the same direction and sets in the same direction. Practically:
- Decide where in the sky you want the Core relative to your subject (rock, tree, lighthouse, headland).
- Find the azimuth at which the Core sits at that elevation and orientation.
- Move around the location until the shooting spot puts that azimuth where you want it.
3 · Check the moon phase
- For a dark sky, shoot at New Moon ± 4 days. You'll then need artificial light to render the landscape.
- A moon isn't always the enemy: from first to last quarter, moonlight can light the landscape while the Milky Way is still recorded.
- Best case: the moon outside the frame at 60–90° to your shooting direction. Side light casts shadows off every rock and gives an almost 3D landscape; direct front moonlight is flat and uninformative.
- The light is best from about one to two hours after moonrise.
Site requirements
- Free of light pollution — away from cities, the way observatories are sited.
- A clear, definable horizon or a strong foreground subject. Stars alone are a texture; stars over something are a photograph.
- Scout in daylight. Everything is harder to find in the dark, including the edge of the drop.
Settings to start from
| Setting | Start |
|---|
| Mode | Manual (M), RAW |
| Aperture | Widest the lens has — f/1.4–f/2.8 (f/2.8 is about the limit) |
| Shutter | The 500 rule (below) — typically 10 s–25 s |
| ISO | ISO 1600–6400; a common opening frame is 10 s at f/1.4, ISO 3200 |
| Focus | Manual Focus (MF) at infinity — magnify on a bright star and confirm |
| Stabilisation | SteadyShot off (and Optical SteadyShot on the lens) when on a tripod |
| Release | Remote, or 2-second Self-timer |
| Long Exposure NR | On or Auto for single frames — dark-frame subtraction removes hot pixels. Off when stacking |
| Filters | Remove the UV filter — it causes reflections around bright stars |
The 500 rule
500 ÷ 35mm-equivalent focal length = longest exposure in seconds before star trails
- 50mm on full frame → 500 ÷ 50 = 10 s.
- On APS-C, multiply the focal length by the crop factor first (Sony 1.5×): a 50mm becomes 75mm → 500 ÷ 75 ≈ 6 s. Always round down.
- The 600 rule gives more light but risks visible trailing — prefer 500.
- Wider lens = longer allowed exposure. Use the shortest focal length that still gives the composition.
- Sharp stars plus one or two streaks isn't a failure of the rule — that's an aircraft contrail or a meteor.
On the night
- Arrive early, set up in daylight or last light, and let your eyes adapt.
- Shoot a test at the calculated exposure, then bracket the length longer and shorter, adjusting ISO to compensate. Keep notes.
- Deliberately underexpose a little if you want the frame to look like night — it's easier to lift than to convince a bright frame it's dark.
- All digital astrophotography needs post-processing: colour, contrast, clarity, saturation.
Consolidated from references: PhotoPills, How to Shoot the Milky Way: The Definitive Guide (2024); Photzy The 500 Rule Action Card; Len's School, Including Stars in Your Landscapes.