Astronomy and astrophotography under California stars

Camping Trip at Chilao Campground

On July 8th, 2012, I decided to take a quick, one-night trip to the Chilao Campground deep in the San Gabriel Mountains. I wanted to see if it might be a decent area for astrophotography. Here are some photos from that quick one-nighter.

Click on any image for a larger version. If your browser automatically resizes images, be sure to zoom in and view the full size panoramic images!

  • Panoramic photo from the north side of Mt. Wilson
    Panoramic photo from the north side of Mt. Wilson (5MB!)
  • Sunset from the Manzanita Loop
    Sunset from the Manzanita Loop
  • The view just after sunset
    Just after sunset
  • Panoramic view of the campsite
    Panoramic view of the campsite (2.5MB!)

  • Astrophotography equipment all ready to go
    Astrophotography equipment all ready to go
  • My bed and pillow for the night, by Exped
    My bed and pillow for the night
  • Antelope Valley from Angeles Crest Highway
    Antelope Valley from Angeles Crest Highway
  • Star trails from Chilao Campground
    Star trails from Chilao Campground

Verdict? The skies are darker than they are from most southern Californian's back yards, but still not dark enough for serious astrophotography, especially to the south. That said, it makes for a nice, local camping trip with beautiful vistas. Fire damage (2009 Station Fire) is evident throughout the site but there are still plenty of trees, shrubs, and fresh air to make you feel like you're much further from home than you actually are.