Here are two images of the Milky Way I photographed on Monday night at the beach. Both are single images. One image has the Moon and Venus descending. Both are bright enough that I could see their reflection on the ocean. It was so beautiful to watch them descend behind the ocean. Since my main goal was to shoot a timelapse of the Milky Way, I am using a long exposure and have the aperture opened the maximum amount.

If I were to photograph just the moon and Venus, I would never photograph it like that. I'd use a different lens and camera settings. So in this image, the moon and Venus are too bright and overexposed. It's extremely difficult to photograph a single image with such a wide dynamic range.

The point I want to make is how light, yes even the moon, affects how we can and can't see the Milky Way. Compare both images and you can see how much more visible the Milky Way is AFTER the moon sets.

All in all, I call it a successful night of photography. All alone on the quiet beach with the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Marveling at the construction skills of the people who created the teepees out of driftwood. The sky was clear-ish and I had the moon, Venus and the stars to keep me company. So peaceful. So grateful to be living here.