A life-changing experience: La Palma - paradise for Astrophotography

[@stefanschneider3681]

Thanks a lot for putting this together. I know La Palma a bit since my mother lived there for almost 10 years. Unfortunately her house is buried under 15 meters of lava 😢. She and her husband are ok, they could get the important items out, but it was heartbreaking to watch the forces of nature act so brutally for weeks until the house just disappeared ... they are back in Switzerland, sad of course the first months, but now well settled again. But I do plan on going back this fall too. I plan to bring my cameras, tripods, star tracker with me, but even my 6''-SC-telescope, let's see how it all plays out. I will go on my own, since my wife couldn't care less about my astrofoto-virus 🤣.

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

Hey there, thanks for sharing your story. Sorry to hear about the damage to the house and that your family had to move. The eruption was really something else, our guide from the hotel also had her house being hit by loads of ashes. Shows how much power nature has. I'm glad you enjoyed the video, hopefully you can have a nice astro holiday! Wishing all the best! Clear skies :)

[@davidjgburnett]

Fabulous. I want to go there. 😮

[@billwright9518]

Great video with lots of information, must have been a great trip.

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

@@billwright9518 Thank you! And yes, it was 😊

[@weristdennda6451]

Sieht nach einem tollem Urlaub aus!

[@ernestosacristao6634]

Vielen Dank für den beeindruckenden Einblick! Und für den Link zum Dokument. Sehr hilfreich für die Planung meiner anstehenden ersten Reise nach La Palma... Clear Skies!

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

Freut mich! 🌌

[@paula00789]

Amazing video! Thx for sharing your 'Milky way haunting journey' 😉 Very cool 👌

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

Thank you very much! :)

[@stevehauser7486]

sounds fun, can't wait

[@northbank12]

Hi Chris, Great video. I am going to La Palma in August 2024 this year, going with another 12 colleagues from my local Astronomy society in Kent, England UK. I will be taking my DSLR camera to do some imaging, MY current tripod is a bit big and not suitable for travel. The tripod you were using looks quite compact and folds up small- what make is it - do you recommend a tripod. Many thanks

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

Hey there, yeah above 2000m you need a sturdy tripod for the winds! I was using a 'Zomei' tripod, which is basically a knock-off from 'Rollei'. I think it was about 60-70€, so nothing too expensive either. Dont know the exact model name unfortunately anymore :/ Wishing you a nice trip though! :) CS!

[@JackLofting]

Hi, I’m also from Kent and looking to try meet other astrophotographers, can I possibly ask if the astronomy society you are in take on new members or is it more a private organisation. I had to ask as I have no astronomy friends yet ahaha

[@tostativerdk]

Great video, now I have to go to La Palma 😂

[@davidtyrrell7036]

Hi Chris. Excellent video. Has really helped me plan for my trip in May 2023. Re tracked exposures. You took 3 at 120 secs @ 1000 ISO and 6 at 60 secs @ 3200 ISO. Could you say which was the better re noise etc? Many thanks

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

Hey David, cool, glad I could help with my video, La Palma was totally awesome and I can only recommend it! Phew, thats a good question...first of, you can find some of my final images from the trip on my Telescopius page to check on the noise yourself: telescopius.com/profile/chrizzlys_observable_universe Half a year ago I was quite a Noob with the LX4 tracker, thats why I opted for shorter exposures. With my current know how I'd go for lower ISO's and longer exposure times. The sky is really dark there, so many details without having to deal with light pollution in post. Keep in mind that its quite windy on top of the Roque de los Muchachos, so you maybe need something to block the wind for the tracker or have a low to the ground setup. Cheers and enjoy the island! ✨✌🏻

[@stevehauser7486]

Very nice, very nice.....I'm happy for you. had forgotten about the volcano eruption last year or so. I thought I was lucky living in a bortel 3, or 4 zone in rural Indiana but that is special. Cheers and clear skies

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

Hey there Steve, thank you for the kind words! :) Luckily our stay was not really impacted by the remains of the eruption, but tourism is still ramping up ever so slightly. Well, I only had it during the Holidays, but you have it all year :D I guess the (Mid-) Western US-States or Nationalparks could offer a similar dark sky ;) Have a nice weekend! CS!

[@stevehauser7486]

yes it is nice here, if you google Shades State Park, Indiana you will see it is a dark sky park. I live about 8 miles from it. cheers

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

@@stevehauser7486 that looks like a decent spot for astro-activities, nice 👍🏻

[@leonidtalas696]

Thank you for the video! I plan to visit the Canaries to do astrophotography. Question I have: I am using Class3 laser to point my rig onto the right place in the sky, basically for framing. Do you think there will be any issue with using lasers pointing at the night sky?

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

Hey, great question. I don't know for certain if there are any spanish laws that would forbid it, but I'd assume that its not really welcome close to the observatories at the peak (just my assumptions). Then again if you just use it very briefly it might not even be noticed... But I would check if the laser has a wattage < 5 mW. I didnt use one back then. Have a nice vacation & CS!

[@davidtyrrell7036]

Sorry, I meant 10 at 60 secs @ 3200 ISO.

[@pompeymonkey3271]

Anyone that's been up there at night knows that the Bortle 2.2 rating is completely misleading. The sky is absolutely incredible. If you ever get the chance. etc... :)

[@daniel99bp]

Hey Chris, quick question. Are you able to see the Milky Way with just your naked eyes, without the need of a camera?

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

Hey there! Yes, when its really dark, you can see it with your naked eyes. Not as detailed as a photo of course, but its still really impressive! Cheers! :)

[@pompeymonkey3271]

You can't not see it! :)

[@stargazersview6997]

Hi Chris(?) habe Deinen Clipp sehr gern geschaut. La Palma ist wirklich eine sehr schöne Insel -nicht nur für uns Stargazer und Astrofotografen. Schönes Video. Wenn Du magst, schaue Dir gern meine La Palma Einleitung "Astro Holiday" an. Da wird noch einiges folgen. Clear skies Jörg

[@ChrizzlyUniverse]

Hey Jörg, danke für den Kommentar. Der LaPalma Trip dieses Jahr war echt einmalig, wirklich eine unglaublich schöne Insel, nicht nur aus Astro-Sicht, auch von Natur und Geographie :) Klaro, da schau ich doch gern mal rein 😉 LG & CS, Chris