It was a lovely night to stargaze on Santa Fe Lake recently, this night... a breeze to keep the bugs away and provide some relief from the thick heavy summer air. I thought it might be a good night to try a new vantage point from the dock of a wonderful neighbor. It would have been perfect, except for when at 45 minutes into shooting, distant clouds started to take over the frames. I could even see them strike out in a glow from lightning every now and then. Normally I would welcome storms, especially during this dry spell, but in this case, it actually caused a few problems in my photography. With the soft distant rolls of thunder, I thought it best to wrap up early in case any of that approaching rain made it toward me and all of my camera gear (I also had my little telescope set up, imaging a far off galaxy at the same time). 

I got a little glimpse of what my final image would have been if skies stayed clear and I could have imaged for a few more hours. This is just a fraction of trails I aimed to capture, but it will have to do for now.

Light pollution from nearby towns, Waldo and Starke can be seen on the horizon.

Thanks Janet for letting me shoot there, hopefully next time will be more fruitful!!

Click on the image to see a larger version and to see more in the Astrophotography gallery.

Janet's Star Trails