From the Lagoon to the Universe
Here comes the strogest moment of the Cook Islands: Capturing (probably) the first nighscape with the Milky Way over the popular Aitutaki Island in all history. This is what I spent for years of hard work in the Czech Republic and 4 months in Zealand’s fruit orachrds. Just to earn money to get here for these minutes in this paradise of the Cooks. It was windy 28th August 2014, the night came quickly. And it’s majestic. Just a few hours after the sunset and moonset sky got dark and the Milky Way with so many structures of dark nebulae ornaments it above the famous lagoon. Other galaxies – both Magellanic clouds, Andromeda Galaxy or even faint Triangulum Galaxy – made the feeling of Universe “within touch” even stronger. Despite the strong wind, easily crooking mighty coconuts trees, that moment was like being on the way from the Aitutaki Lagoon to the Universe. Colorful airglow made the sky even more romantic (structures of this airglow were visible even to naked eyes!), it seemed like a curtains in front of this natural window. No one could understand until this experience, indeed. Hopefully this picture brings at least a poetic way how to express my respect to this amazing spot of the world. Thanks for that. Used Canon 6D, Samyang 24 mm, f2,8, ISO 8000, 43×15 s panorama, tripod.
