Vasundhra Arulazi

When gazing upon the everlasting night sky, have you ever thought, with wonder and awe, the purpose of our existence in an expanding universe? It’s a surreal and humbling experience. Unfortunately, as technology improves, the light pollution increases creating a divide of viewing the cosmos. With this rational decision, my parents and I went to the George Observatory located in Brazos Bend State Park, Texas.

By escaping from the light pollution, I was able to see thousands, out of the billions of trillions of stars in the universe, and view Saturn through the provided telescopes. Inside the George Observatory, I was able to view the Ring Nebula, and to my surprise, it was white, unlike the photos I’ve seen. Clearly, our eyes could use a serious upgrade or maybe some interstellar fashion sense.

Most importantly, with my Nikon D850 and my Sigma 20mm f/1.4 lens, I was able to photograph even more stars than my ‘amazing’ eye vision. While photographing these beauties, it felt like time slowed down and I was able to escape reality. As I adjusted shutter speed, aperture, and ISO I was able to photograph the celestial wonder known as our home: The Milky Way Galaxy

The camera and lens I used: Nikon D850 with Sigma 20mm f/1.4
Camera Settings: ISO 1600, f/1.4, 8 seconds
Date: September 9, 2023
Location: George Observatory at Brazos Bend State Park