When I left for Pine Island State Forest two mornings ago, it was still quite dark and I remember remarking to myself that the stars were fantastic. Fast forward to the afternoon and I found myself thinking that photographing our cabin with the Milky Way rising behind it would be cool. However, was I in time before the core of the Milky Way drops below the horizon till next Spring? The answer was yes, but just barely.

How did I figure out the Milky Way’s location and time it would be optimal in the night sky? I used PlanIt for Photographers. Here is a screenshot of the data screen I investigated. I screenshot / data screen has a lot of data, but it told me time of night … location in sky relative to my cabin and much more. (see below my Milky Way photo)

Northstar Lake Milky Way Night Lights.

PlanIt for Photographers Data Screen