DSA1 - ESA Deep Space Tracking Station, New Norcia WA

[dylan_odonnell]

The first of a few photographic studies of this beautiful 35m tracking station I had the privilege to photograph this weekend for ESA! Pictured here facing east, the antenna was in operation communicating with the GAIA mission and slowly tracking across the sky! GAIA is doing detailed measurements to create a 3D map of the Milky Way.

This image is now also on ESA's homepage and available free with Creative Commons! :)

Photo details .. 4 x 30s f2.8 ISO 1600 Tokina 11-16mm

Credit: D. O’Donnell/ESA – CC BY-SA 3.0

[Atmos]

Has been nicely placed, radio telescope eating up the Milky Way :P

[gregbradley]

Nice shot. Great framing and subject. Probably was a bright moon which makes it harder in some ways.

I would suggest trying to get a neutral sky colour as it showing as lilac at the moment. Perhaps tone down highlights as parts of the dish are overexposed.

Greg.

[dylan_odonnell]

Thanks ! Yes unfortunately I wasn't allowed to turn the building lights off for OH&S reasons which bathed everything in orange so that's why the corrected colour biases to blue and the dish is a bit overblown to get the stars in the same exposure. The image is on the ESA homepage currently :)