Why is there a reddish glow in the center of my night-sky photo?

Question

I’m new to night-sky photography and noticed a faint reddish glow near the center of one of my photos. At first I thought it was light pollution, but it seems concentrated toward the middle rather than the edges. Could this be something in the sky, or is it more likely caused by the camera, lens, or atmospheric conditions?

user15871 · Answer

Light pollution reflecting off very thin clouds or other types of haze in an otherwise crystal clear sky can cause such effects.

_{The brightest light on the horizon is not a sunset, it is light pollution from a city about 30 miles away. Another, smaller city at about the same distance is seen closer to the center of the frame.}

_{A few minutes later with the camera pointed almost straight up at the zenith. Notice the light pollution reflecting of the wispy cloud at the bottom of the frame.}

Both images were edited to be viewed in a dark room with a dark background (i.e. no white border). Opening them at native resolution in a separate frame with no light colored border will allow you to see them better. Scaling errors can make many of the stars dimmer/not visible when viewed at non-native resolution.

Why is there a reddish glow in the center of my night-sky photo?

2 Answers

Your Answer

Related Questions