We set off again for a few days (or rather a few nights) to "our" astro-farm, the Tivoli Southern Sky Guest Farm in Namibia. This time we travel as a group with other club members of the Hofheim Observatory, who, after two years of preparation, want to use the nights for photography and observation of celestial objects in the southern hemisphere (for the astrophotographs). Here, on the edge of the Kalahari at about 1,300 m above sea level, there are optimal conditions for astronomical activities during the Namibian winter. The Milky Way, whose centre is at its zenith after dusk and stretches from horizon to horizon, shows a richness of detail and sublime magnificence that can hardly be found anywhere else on our planet.
Already on the flight from Frankfurt to Windhoek the starry sky and the "rotation" of the constellations to a southern viewing angle could be seen very well.
The impressions of the first evening on the farm were simply indescribable again. Unfortunately, a two-dimensional picture can't even come close to this experience, at best it can only give you an idea.
The workplace under the Milky Way and the Magellanic Clouds was set up relatively quickly with the help of the farm owner, so that astrophotography could be started already in the first night. Some results and more pictures in higher quality can be found here.
From the first to the last night we were able to enjoy the beautiful view of the southern sky unclouded. The following panorama photo shows the 180° view from the Magellanic Clouds in the south across the band of the sinking Milky Way to the Andromeda Galaxy in northern direction.
And do not forget to watch the clip with many time lapses: