Night Skies in Loess Hills

A recent weekend visit to the Loess Hills in western Iowa provided clear and vibrant skies. The following three images were captured from our cabin in Arrowhead Park, just southeast of Neola, Iowa in Pottawattamie County. The above capture looks ENE at 6:57 pm CST on Friday, November 6, 2020. Air temperatures were mild--in the upper 50s. At center, above the horizon is the prominent star cluster Pleiades. The bright star to the left--just right of the large pine tree is 0.06 magnitude Capella in the constellation Auriga. 13 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 800, 13mm focal length.

8:06 pm. The Milky Way stretches above our cabin (41°26'10.73"N,  95°35'27.28"W) in the northeast sky. The star Capella can be seen just above the peak of the roof. Also prominent is the Andromeda Galaxy, visible at upper right. 15 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 3200, 12mm focal length.

8:14 pm. Similar view, with the Milky Way, Capella, Pleiades and Andromeda all visible. 15 second exposure at f/2.8, ISO 4000, 12mm focal length. Nikon D7200 DSLR camera.