 Milky Way (click to see larger) | It was a clear, crisp night as I watched the stars last night at the Union Hills Wildlife Management area. I was alone at midnight except for an occasional car racing for home. Well, not quite alone, because the darkness was filled with the sounds of crickets, frogs, ducks and other birds, many unidentifiable sounds in the dark and... yes, coyotes. Quiet at first, then a howl to the left.... another to the right.... pups yipping and yapping, and incredible snarling, growling and screeching, then quiet, as they apparently found their evening meal. It gave me goose-bumps. I decided to not venture far from my parked car. The stars were bright last night with no clouds in the sky, and the Milky way visible from horizon to horizon, but there was a glow on the horizon in any direction. It is hard in this part of Iowa to find a truly dark sky because there is so much light pollution from nearby towns and cities. Facing west-southwest the Milky Way was the brightest and had the least amount of glow from nearby towns. 17-35mm lens at 18mm, f/2.8, 25 seconds, ISO 2500, edited in Lightroom. |
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