The Milky Way and the MeadowThe Milky Way over a meadow. Summer in West Virginia.

A couple of weeks ago, we made the short drive to West Virginia for a socially-distant vacation. It was great to get out of DC for a while. I feared that all the rain we had been having in DC would follow us, but we were blessed with clear skies. I normally curse clear skies, since bright blue skies are boring in landscapes, but this time they presented an opportunity: astrophotography. Clear skies and the lower level of light pollution in West Virginia allowed me to shoot the Milky Way. I took several photos. The one above may be my favorite, but it’s tough to decide.

Milky Way over the TreesA view of the Milky Way, high above a forest in West Virginia.

The following is a photo of the Milky Way over the cabin we stayed in. The only lights I left on in the cabin were very dim nightlights. The lights appear bright because I took a very long exposure (50 seconds) and even a little nightlight is much brighter than starlight.

The Cabin and the Milky WayThe Milky Way hovers over a cabin. Summer in West Virginia.

Our visit also coincided with the peak for the Perseid meteor shower. Unfortunately, the clouds moved in while I was trying to shoot the meteors. Here's one that I caught while I was in Cacapon Resort State Park:

Meteor over CacaponA meteor during the Perseid meteor shower appears over Cacapon Resort State Park in West Virginia on a cloudy summer night.

The night sky was not the only subject that I shot while we were in West Virginia. I took some landscapes as well. I like the following. It’s a photo of the Potomac River and Great Cacapon at dusk. I really like the color.

Dusk on the Potomac and Great CacaponDusk falls on the Potomac River and Great Cacapon. Summer in West Virginia.