My first view of the Milky Way in 2026, looking due east

Drove well south of Omaha, Nebraska to view the Milky Way core as it rose above the horizon. This time of year it rises in the east around 2 am, and remains relatively low to the horizon until sunrise. I had dreams of capturing a full panorama from south to north, but it was not to be; urban light pollution from the Omaha metro area washed out viewing of the northern half. A high dewpoint eventually coated the lens, camera, truck and me in dew (I forgot to bring my dew heater) and softened the final result. But for the beginning of the MW core season, I was still pleased to see what the sky provided. Session ran from around 2:30 to 3:45 am, with a much appreciated nap after returning home.

Canon 6D Mk2 DSLR, 28mm lens, remote shutter release, tripod. About 100 exposures, each 20 seconds long, f/4, ISO 6400, taken in groups of ten, moving the camera between groups to capture a swath of the eastern sky.

Sequator, Image Composite Editor, and GIMP