It
is becoming very difficult to see the stars in large numbers in the night sky
owing to the glare of city lights. Many, many years ago I once saw the Milky Way
in the night sky at Churu, Rajasthan.
I had
to wait many more years to watch the spectacle again in Jalna.
I
don’t remember the exact time of the year. It must have been October or
November. One late night we reached Jalna a few months back. It was a clear
sky. And the time was about ten-o-clock in the night. Once again we were
blessed with a spectacular view of the Milky Way. The sight was simply awesome
and unbelievable.
Astrophotography in Jalna
My
son Shashank is a photography fan. I suggested that we go Jalna as it offers a
spectacular star-studded night sky. However, he was reluctant. He has a prejudice
that I suggest Jalna because we have some work there in Amba Retreat. So I searched the Internet for a suitable place in
the Himalayas, which is suitable for, star photography. I found out that Majkhali a place not far from Jalna is
a suitable place. I read that a renowned photographer of Delhi uses it for
conducting astrophotography classes. I booked the rooms in the same hotel used
by this photographic expert.
We
reached the hotel in Majkhali early
in the evening. The hotel had a large terrace suitable for sky photography. However, there were some hilly obstructions on the star-rise side. So we identified a
suitable alternate place. It was a hilltop about a few kilometres from the
hotel. The star-rise was at 1.00 am in the morning. We set the alarm got up and
went. We had to park the car at a kerb and walk into the jungle for about
kilometre. It was pitch dark. I was scared with panthers roaming the forests.
After
all this effort we were utterly disappointed. We could not see even a handful
of stars leave alone the Milky Way. To be fair it is more the season’s fault and
not that of the place.
Astrophotography from Jalna
As
planned the next day we set out for Jalna, a couple of hours of drive. In the
evening after a long walk and early dinner, we retired to bed. Again Shashank
set the alarm for one am. The vantage point an open car park actually is hardly
50 meters from the hotel and about 100 meters from Amba Retreat.
Even
though he could not see the Milky Way with the naked eye through
astrophotography techniques and a bit of deft editing he could take the awesome
picture showcased below.
In
the end because of its faraway location glare of the city lights Jalna is an ideal
place for stargazing and astrophotography.
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