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Milky Way Over Quiver Tree Forest [3000x1198] (apod.nasa.gov)

submitted ago by darbynrib

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[–]Popular-Uprising- 27 points28 points ago

This is the most incredible and beautiful picture that I've seen in a long time. When I saw it on APOD this morning, it instantly became by desktop background.

[–]KellyCommaRoy 8 points9 points ago

Here's a slightly modified version with a little fading on the top and bottom for those who would like to center it on their desktop.

[–]lwronhubbard 16 points17 points ago

If you're into photography/photoshop here's the photographer's detailed blog entry on how it was done

http://floriansphotographs.blogspot.com/2012/08/quiver-trees-by-night-2.html

[–]naisanza 1 point2 points ago

I never knew these were taking as a panorama and then edited. Will it come out to be the same if you just took a long exposure normally? How much of the sky would be lost that way?

[–]lwronhubbard 0 points1 point ago

Check out the link. The photographer posts a before photoshop (aka straight out of the camera) version and then an edited version afterwards. The before version is still really impressive but the after has a ton more color and contrast. The photos are at the bottom of the blog post.

[–]herabek 23 points24 points ago

So that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

I guess I'm done now. I can quit. There's nothing left. It's all down hill from here.

[–]Garry_The_Snail 4 points5 points ago

You could actually go see it.

[–]herabek 2 points3 points ago

But it won't actually look like this- I can't get exposure like that with these organic jelly sacs.

Maybe I'll hang around and wait for improved cybernetic optics.

[–]Garry_The_Snail 0 points1 point ago

Ya I know but I bet seeing it in real life is still prettier.

[–]herabek 0 points1 point ago

You would see nothing but pitch black, maybe a few stars. It's a cruel world, but this image is a 30 second exposure, with s lense larger than the human eye (collects more light in the same period, not accounting for cmos/ccd anf rod/cone differences). :c

[–]Garry_The_Snail 0 points1 point ago

Well it would still look nice at sunset? right? right?

[–]herabek 0 points1 point ago

That's like trying to enjoy a cigarette after trying heroine.

[–]Solaire_of_LA 4 points5 points ago

If only you could see this with the naked eye.

[–]Taclooc 5 points6 points ago

Is this picture real? Or is this one of those photos where the photographer takes a shot of the landscape, and then puts the Milky Way in the background? Amazing though.

[–]lwronhubbard 12 points13 points ago

Apparently it's a 16 exposure composite as well as panorama (photos stitched together)

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

edit : If you're into photography/photoshop here's the photographer's blog on how it was done - http://floriansphotographs.blogspot.com/2012/08/quiver-trees-by-night-2.html

edit 2 : To answer the original question, so it's a bunch of photos stitched together as a panorama, but not one where they take a photo of the landscape and then put in the milky way. The photographer does use photoshop but it's to increase contrast brighten/darken certain parts of the image. Check out the very bottom of the link I posted in the first edit to see how much the photoshopping adds to it.

[–]ankyle 4 points5 points ago

Only 30 second exposures, impressive.

[–]lwronhubbard 2 points3 points ago

Yup, it's pretty incredible to see how much the postprocessing with the layers at the end makes the photo pop.

[–]ankyle 4 points5 points ago

My 30 second exposure time doesnt cut it

http://ankyle.smugmug.com/Other/Washington-Trip/i-g76nkXG/0/X3/IMG_0679-X3.jpg

[–]lwronhubbard 2 points3 points ago

yeah, I feel like night shots are really hard to get right. This was my best attempt over break. http://imgur.com/T4wAL

It's best looked at not at the original size but zoom out a bit so the lack of sharpness doesn't show as much. It's so hard to get all the stars crisp while still keeping an interesting foreground. I postprocessed this guy a fair amount which you can tell by all the noise in the sky. Settings were 10 seconds at f5.6 ISO 400. Also helps to be in rural Africa versus the outskirts of a US town.

[–]ankyle 2 points3 points ago

Yeah, I bet the darkness and lack of light pollution helps a lot.

[–]formerglory 4 points5 points ago

Aaaand... wallpaper'd.

Looks awesome on dual-displays!

[–]cassjacks 4 points5 points ago

Oh my god. This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Thank you for sharing!

[–]darbynrib[S] 5 points6 points ago

You're welcome.

[–]TaterGoodmoons 3 points4 points ago

If that's a forest then my ass is the moon.

[–]shitterplug 2 points3 points ago

Ah, a tree named after the thing I do when I come, wonderful.

[–]Jonnnnnnnnn 5 points6 points ago

the best picture I've seen on spaceporn since I subscribed.

OP, I hope you took it, for if you did, you are a camera god.

[–]darbynrib[S] 7 points8 points ago

No I didn't take it. Unfortunately I do not work for NASA. :(

[–]matiroots 3 points4 points ago

How random, I posted this a month ago and only had 27 upvotes. I'm pretty new in Reddit, was it just a matter of timing or did I do something wrong?

http://www.reddit.com/r/spaceporn/comments/12ilm3/namibian_quiver_trees_and_the_glow_of_the_milky/

[–]darbynrib[S] 4 points5 points ago

That's happened to me a zillion times, it's super frustrating I know. Sometimes posts just get buried. Have some upvotes! ;)

[–]d_ja 3 points4 points ago

The pic you uploaded is half the resolution of this one. I am drawn to those big numbers.

[–]darbynrib[S] 2 points3 points ago

Also, your version has a huge Quiver Tree blocking the best part of the view..

[–]matiroots 1 point2 points ago

I stand corrected then, I did not post the SAME picture, thanks!

[–]duggtodeath 2 points3 points ago

This is majestic, the world is just awesome!

[–]MassRelay 2 points3 points ago

What are the two objects on the left? Is one Andromeda?

[–]TheGreatSaintJiub 6 points7 points ago

"Even further in the distance, visible on the image left, are the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, smaller satellite galaxies of the Milky Way that are prominent in the skies of Earth's southern hemisphere" From the source of the picture.

[–]begorkaback 2 points3 points ago

Love it.

[–]The_Pride_of_Vadnais 2 points3 points ago

That moment when our own planet looks alien.

[–]darbynrib[S] 1 point2 points ago

Wow, over 1000 upvotes! Thanks guys!

[–]thunder_goes_BOOM 1 point2 points ago

Stunning!

[–]ExtendedMix 1 point2 points ago

Are those galaxies (one possibly being Andromeda) in the far left corner? The blotches of blue. Just wondering, because if so, this would make the shot even more incredible than it already is!

[–]timpei96 0 points1 point ago

If I had to stare at one picture for the rest of my life, this would be that picture.

[–]IsntEvenMyAccount 1 point2 points ago

my background.

[–]trunner101 0 points1 point ago

I love the feeling I get whenever I see pictures like this. It's like when I was a kid going on an airplane for the first time. That sense of exploration, looking to new worlds, looking to the unknown.

One day I will go into space alive on a ship/vessel of some sort. To Mars maybe, but really anywhere would do.