I was on fieldwork in Western Australia in August, in the Hamersley Ranges. As long as you camp away from the few small towns (Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Newman) the night sky is very dark and the cool winter air is clear and still. Knowing the moon would set early the first few nights I took a tripod and star tracking mount, and enjoyed photographing the Milky Way. For this thread, here's a photo of Joffre Gorge in Karajini National Park illuminated by a nearly-full moon. It's a composite of one stationary frame (60 sec) and one in which I tracked the stars. Hardly necessary for the 16 mm view, especially when downsized for posting. The stars do trail noticeably on the stationary shot when viewed full-size, however, so worth the extra effort. The Milky Way reaches the horizon at the left-hand edge of the photo.
(16 mm f/3.5; 60 sec, f/5.6, ISO 1600, frame showing the gorge pushed about a stop in processing).
