Milky Way after a stormy autumn day - clear sky

The day at Bebresh and Skravena on 16 October 2026 had one more surprise for us after dark. 🌌

After a day of rain and sun, with two stormy spells in between, the sky above Skravena suddenly went crystal clear. The rain had washed all the dust out of the air, and the stars came out sharper than I've seen them in a long time.

We set the camera on a sturdy tripod and started experimenting with long exposures: trying settings, checking the screen, adjusting, trying again. 📷 It took some patience, but in the end we got our first simple but good single shots of the Milky Way, along with the rest of the stars spread across the sky like a canvas. ✨

What worked: a Sony A7 IV with the Tamron 28–75 mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2, at ISO 5000–6400 with 6–10 second exposures. 🔧 The exposure time depended on the focal length, following the "rule of 500": divide 500 by the focal length to get the longest exposure, in seconds, before the stars start to trail.

We didn't record a timelapse this time. But everything we learned that night, about focus, exposure and finding the right spot, paves the way for the next attempt. The Milky Way timelapse is coming. 🌠