How to see and photograph the Milky Way

The faint, gas-like and captivating veil of dust we see in the night sky on a dark night is no other than the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way is our home-galaxy, with a diameter of 100,000 to 120,000 light years, which is equal to approximately 1.14 × 10¹⁸ km in diameter. This cosmic beauty hanging above our heads has influenced human civilization since its dawn. 

What exactly do we see?

From Earth, we can see the Milky Way face on. The galactic center is located in the constellation Sagittarius. Some easily-distinguishable parts of the Milky Way we can see from Earth is the Orion Spur, the Sagittarius arm and the Perseus arm. The dark band visible in the middle of the structure is gas that blocks the light from the stars behind it, thus creating a "dark" area on the night sky. However, many people fall into the error of thinking that only the stars that are in the part of the sky where the Milky Way is located are inside our galaxy. Using our logic, we can come to the conclusion that all the stars visible in the night sky are found in the Milky Way, no matter if there is distance between them and the galactic formation in the night sky. Moreover, we must always remember that we are in a 3 dimensional space, meaning that there can be stars above, below and behind us relatively to the galactic center. It's just that the area closer to the galactic center has more stars and material (since we are located near the edge of the Milky Way), thus making it look like a cloud to us. 

How to see the Milky Way

To witness the Milky Way is to return to something ancient — something that predates cities, noise, and artificial light. But to truly see it, one must chase the dark.

Light pollution is the greatest veil between us and our galactic home. Cities wash the stars away, and only in the most remote corners of the world does the Milky Way reveal its full majesty. The best viewing happens in Bortle Class 1 to 3 skies, where the night is so pure you can see your shadow cast by starlight.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the galactic core rises high during the summer months, especially from June to August. Around midnight, it arcs across the southern sky like a celestial river. For those in the Southern Hemisphere, the view is even more spectacular — the core climbs nearly overhead, stretching like a backbone across the heavens.

To prepare:

• Find a dark-sky location, far from city lights.
  
  

• Check the moon phase — a new moon will be your greatest ally.
  
  

• Allow your eyes time to adjust — avoid screens and flashlights for at least 30 minutes.
  
  

• Use a stargazing app to locate Sagittarius, the gate to the galactic center, and watch as the arms of the Milky Way ripple outward in quiet splendor.
  
  

How to Photograph the Milky Way

Capturing the Milky Way is both art and ritual. It requires patience, a steady hand, and a willingness to stand in silence while the stars paint your frame.

The Tools

You don’t need a telescope — only a camera that listens well to the dark:

• A DSLR or mirrorless camera with full manual control.
  
  

• A wide-angle lens, ideally between 14mm and 24mm, with a wide aperture (f/2.8 or lower).
  
  

• A tripod, to keep the camera stable.
  
  

• A remote shutter or timer, so that the camera has time to stabilize itself before it starts capturing.
  
  

The Settings

Begin with these — and let the night guide your adjustments:

• Aperture: f/2.8 — open wide to catch the faintest light
  
  

• Shutter speed: 15–25 seconds — long enough to draw the stars, but not blur them
  
  

• ISO: 3200 — sensitive, but not blinding
  
  

• Focus: Manual, set to infinity — but trust your eye more than the lens markings
  
  

The Frame

The Milky Way is not just a subject — it is a canvas. Let your foreground matter. A lonely tree, a rugged peak, a silhouette — they become anchors to the infinite. Align your shot with the galactic center, and let the stars stretch above like a trail of memory.

The Afterglow

The raw image will feel underwhelming — don’t be discouraged. With care in post-processing (Lightroom, Photoshop, or similar), the Milky Way will emerge. Adjust contrast, tame the noise, and gently coax the hidden structure of dust and light to the surface. What seemed faint will begin to sing. For reference, below you can find two images taken from a Bortle 4 location. The image on the left is raw and the one on the right is the edited version. Both images were captured with a Samsung A14 (images taken by Nektarios Giannakis).