Capturing the Milky Way and Orion from Mount Teide

The volcanic landscapes, high-altitude vantage points, and typically clear skies make Tenerife’s Mount Teide a great location for astrophotography. Recently, Martin Fransson documented his journey to this incredible location, discussing his challenges, preparations, and ultimate success in capturing breathtaking astrophotos of the Milky Way. Martin Fransson had visited Tenerife a decade ago, but for his 50th birthday, he chose to return with his family. However, the conditions were far from ideal, strong winds, a full moon, and the infamous calima, a dust-laden wind from the Sahara, were all factors working against him. Despite this, he remained determined to take advantage of any window of opportunity to capture deep-sky images.

Capturing the Milky Way and Orion on a Volcano at Mount Teide

Knowing that preparation is crucial in astrophotography, Martin spent the daytime scouting locations. He had identified a potential site using Google Maps and went on foot to verify its viability. His goal was to frame the Milky Way between two striking rock formations within the Roques de García region. Using the PhotoPills app, he visualized the alignment of the Milky Way and fine-tuned his composition well before nightfall.

The night of the shoot arrived, but conditions were still far from ideal. The full moon limited the period of true darkness to just two hours, and the presence of calima added haze to the sky. Waiting wasn’t an option, as the forecast for the following days predicted even worse weather, clouds, rain, and possibly snow.

Equipped with around 12–15 kg of astrophotography gear, Martin made his way up Mount Teide once again. The steep, winding roads required careful navigation, especially with cyclists sharing the route. As he reached his site, he was met with an unexpected challenge, tourists. Sunset and night sky tours had brought many people to the location, but fortunately, as darkness deepened, most left, leaving him to his work.

Camera setup and process

Martin used two camera setups for the night:

• Canon R6 with a 24mm lens, tracking the stars for sharp Milky Way shots.
• Modified Canon 6D with an H-alpha filter, which allows better imaging of hydrogen-rich nebulae.
   

For his Milky Way shots, he set his Canon R6 to ISO 6400, an aperture of f/2, and exposure times of around 10 seconds. The H-alpha filter was a new experiment, but at 20nm, it was broader than the typical 7nm filters preferred for deep-sky work. He attempted to capture the Cygnus region as well as Orion later in the night.

Challenges faced and adjustments made

The calima proved to be a major challenge, reducing contrast and introducing unwanted haze into the images. Another unexpected issue arose, Newtonian rings, an interference pattern that appears in some imaging setups, made post-processing more difficult. To compensate for the poor conditions, he tried stacking multiple 30-second exposures of the Orion region, which helped reduce noise and enhance faint details.

Despite the challenges, Martin managed to capture some stunning astrophotos. His tracked shots of the Milky Way turned out exceptionally well considering the limited exposure time. The time-lapse sequences he captured also provided beautiful results, showcasing the movement of the stars over the volcanic landscape.

One particularly rewarding moment came after the moonrise. Initially seen as an obstacle, the moon’s light beautifully illuminated the rugged foreground, allowing for striking compositions that blended the night sky with the volcanic terrain.

Not content with ending the night just yet, Martin attempted one last shoot, capturing the lights of cities beneath a layer of haze from a high-altitude viewpoint. At over 2,000 meters above sea level, he battled exhaustion and freezing temperatures but found a spectacular vantage point. Though the haze prevented a perfect time-lapse, he still managed to take some breathtaking still images.

Martin’s astrophotography session at Mount Teide was a testament to patience, preparation, and adaptability. Despite less-than-ideal conditions, he made the most of his limited window and walked away with incredible images. His experience is a reminder to all amateur astronomers and astrophotographers, sometimes, taking the chance on an imperfect night can lead to unforgettable results. His journey also reinforces the importance of preparation, scouting locations, and making adjustments on the fly when conditions don’t go as planned.

Astrophotography on a VOLCANO! Capturing the Milky Way at Mt Teide | Tenerife Nightscapes Part 1

Capturing Orion and battling the wind

In the second part of his astrophotography adventure at Mount Teide, Martin Fransson faced even greater challenges than before. From unexpected weather changes to extreme cold and relentless wind, this session tested his resilience and adaptability. Despite the harsh conditions, he managed to capture stunning images of the Orion region and a time-lapse of Mount Teide under a starry sky. Here’s a detailed recount of what took place in his latest astrophotography endeavor.

After his initial astrophotography session on Mount Teide, Martin had to be patient for another clear night. While he spent time with his family and explored the northern forested areas of Tenerife, he kept a close watch on the forecast, waiting for another opportunity to capture the night sky.

On December 23rd, the forecast indicated mostly cloudy conditions, but from his vantage point at lower altitudes, it looked clear. Unsure of what to expect, he took a chance and made the drive up the mountain, hoping for an opening in the sky.

As he ascended Mount Teide, Martin realized the forecast had been misleading, there were hardly any clouds, but the wind was ferocious. The gusts were so strong that they shook his car, making the drive itself a challenge. Originally, he had planned to shoot in an open desert-like area with sand dunes, but the intense wind made that impossible. Setting up his cameras in such an environment would have risked damaging them with blowing sand.

Instead, he returned to the Roques de García area, the same location from his first astrophotography session. However, this time he opted to stay in a public viewing area on a paved surface, where he could take shelter behind rocks to minimize the impact of the wind.

The temperature hovered around 2°C, but with the wind chill, it felt even colder. Snow patches on the ground remained frozen solid, confirming that conditions were near freezing. The harsh environment made even basic tasks, like setting up his equipment, incredibly difficult.

Martin’s primary goal for the night was to photograph the Orion constellation, including an H-alpha capture of the Orion Nebula. However, the wind made long-exposure astrophotography extremely difficult. He was unsure if he could achieve stable shots, as the wind constantly shook his cameras and tripods.

To mitigate this, he positioned his Canon 6D with an H-alpha filter on a star tracker, using a 50mm Sigma lens to capture detailed images of Orion. He also planned to shoot a time-lapse with his Canon R6, tracking the movement of the stars across the sky.

The wind proved relentless, and even behind sheltering rocks, Martin struggled to keep his setup stable. He attempted to capture 30-second exposures, hoping they would be short enough to avoid excessive motion blur caused by camera shake. Longer exposures, which would have been ideal for H-alpha imaging, were simply not an option in these conditions.

Milky Way and Orion at Mount Teide

Light pollution from passing cars

As he worked through the night, Martin encountered another issue, passing cars. The bright headlights illuminated the foreground repeatedly, interfering with his carefully composed shots. While some of these accidental light-painting effects turned out interesting, it was far from ideal for controlled astrophotography.

Despite this, he continued shooting, capturing foreground images to later blend with his deep-sky images. He carefully framed a composition using rocks in the foreground, aligning them with Orion high above.

While battling the wind and cold, Martin took the opportunity to shoot tracked exposures of Mount Teide itself, using his Canon 6D. One of the standout moments was when a cloud hovered directly above the mountain peak, creating an ethereal effect.

Additionally, the presence of dust in the atmosphere added an unexpected element, amplified light pollution. As the dust scattered light, it created a soft glow around the mountain. Though frustrating in some ways, it also made for some unique photographic opportunities.

Facing the cold and wrapping up the session

As the night progressed, the temperature continued to drop, and the wind showed no sign of relenting. Martin described feeling colder than he had ever been before, to the point where he struggled to speak properly. His hands were numb, and he had difficulty handling his equipment. At one point, he had to retreat to his car just to warm up.

Determined to finish strong, he captured a final set of tracked shots using his astro-modified Canon 6D with a 24mm lens. His goal was to capture a wide-field view of the entire landscape with the night sky above. Despite the frigid conditions, he managed to complete this final exposure before calling it a night.

By the time he packed up his gear, it was around 2 a.m. On his way back to the car, he attempted to record some closing thoughts about the session, but the extreme cold had drained his camera battery and made it nearly impossible to articulate his thoughts clearly.

Martin summed up the experience as both “horrible and wonderful.” Any astrophotographer or nature photographer can relate to this paradox, when the conditions make the experience physically grueling, but the excitement of capturing rare celestial moments makes it all worthwhile.

Despite the wind, the freezing cold, and the constant interruptions from passing cars, Martin still managed to capture stunning images of Orion and a time-lapse of the night sky over Mount Teide. The difficulty of the session only added to the sense of achievement, reminding him why he endures such conditions in the first place.

Milky Way and Orion at Mount Teide | Tenerife Nightscapes Part 2

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