Million Star Lodge

Namibia is renowned for its breathtakingly dark skies, iconic landscapes, and remarkable flora and fauna. These natural wonders can be experienced in comfort from luxurious lodges that seamlessly integrate with the stunning surroundings.

 

Thankfully, many of these lodges employ responsible nighttime lighting, helping to preserve the pristine night sky. This thoughtful approach makes it possible to capture stunning nightscapes directly from the lodge premises, a feature I thoroughly enjoyed during my 2023 family vacation in Namibia.

 

One such lodge is Camp Kipwe, located near the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Twyfelfontein Valley. Camp Kipwe serves as an excellent base for exploring the famous desert elephants of the Huab River and visiting the ancient petroglyphs.

 

After a fulfilling yet demanding day that included a six-hour safari and a visit to the petroglyphs, I was able to conveniently capture the beauty of the night sky just a few steps from our bungalow.

 

EXIF

Canon EOS-R, astro-modified

Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8

IDAS NBZ filter

iOptron SkyTracker Pro

 

Sky:

Panorama of 2 panels, each a stack of 7x 90s @ ISO1600, unfiltered & 3x 180s @ ISO6400, filtered

 

Foreground:

Focus stack of 4x 3s @ ISO800 during twilight

Done