The Skies above Big Bend
It was pitch black when I got done. The last rays from the moon had disappeared a couple of hours ago. and all that remained was starlight. A million stars dazzled the sky with a density that I have hitherto not seen. While the air was slightly hazy from the desert dust, there were no clouds to mar the sparkling carpet of innumerable burning suns. Constellations, where I could merely pinpoint the keystone stars, now seemed to be made up of dozens of astral bodies. Shooting stars dashed across this starscape lasting for a bright fleeting moment, while satellites made their slow march across this stellar background. But perhaps most disconcerting was the eerie silence of nothingness, where every insect buzzing and twig creaking sent shivers down my spine. I scurried away from this celestial vista as soon as I finished packing my gear.
Such was Big Bend National Park in Texas. I had set up my camera at a desolate vista point in the heart of the park. Claimed as having one of the darkest night skies in this part of the country, the park is a haven for astrophotographers, and I was excited to see what I could capture on that clear starry night. After setting up my camera to record in the last vestiges of moonlight, I promptly proceeded to catch a quick nap, and it was after I woke up that silence of the night got to me. Nevertheless, the shoot of the equatorial plane of stars resulted in this bright star-trail image.
Big Bend National Park
TX US
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