Timing yourself for the Astronomical Dusk (Patreon)

How important is it to photograph the Milky Way during the Astronomical Dusk? Very important if you want optimum quality (the darkest, most colorful skies, and with the brightest looking stars).

The photo comparison above shows the Milky Way taken 10 minutes BEFORE the start of the Astro Dusk, and the right photo taken just after this dusk period begins.

Naturally, there may be some aesthetic reasons you will like the image on the left, but for most nightscape photography, you'll want to know when the Astronomical Dusk begins and when that period ends — which is technically the darkest period of the night. As a rule of thumb, in many areas of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere, you'd be safe to start photographing two hours AFTER sunset and within two hours BEFORE sunrise. For exact accuracy, you'll need to refer to an app, like PhotoPills.

PDF: Be sure to download (below) and view my latest Version 2.0 eBook update about the importance of photographing within the Astro Dusk period.

NOTE: My patrons can expect to see many more posts over the next few months, as I continue to "serialize" updates to my original, version 1.1 "Milky Way NightScapes" eBook. These advance updates will become available exclusively to my patrons, page-by-page, until my new version 2.0 eBook is completed and published in March 2024.

All "Milky Way NightScapes" eBook Version 2.0 updates are protected by copyright: © Royce Bair 2023