Peter Rios Explorando

A quiet moment with our nearest neighbor.

This is my first serious attempt at capturing the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) with a longer lens — a tracked & stacked shot at 150mm, taken under the pristine skies of the Bolivian altiplano.

Even though Andromeda is one of the brightest galaxies in the night sky, seeing its dusty arms and companions appear frame after frame felt unreal. Something is humbling about photographing an object that sits over 2.5 million light-years away, yet shows up so clearly when the sky is dark enough, and the tracker is dialed in just right.

This image is part of my preparation for the Astroruta del Altiplano, the 6-night astrophotography journey we’re planning for next year, where Gon Laserna and Jason Rice shall be the workshop teachers. Nights like this — cold, silent, and filled with ancient light — are exactly why this route exists.

Huge thanks to Gon, who lent me his tracker and taught me how to use it right there on the spot. Without that, this shot wouldn’t exist.

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Track - Stack
• EXIF DATA
ISO 3200 - f/3.2 - 30 sec / 26 stacked photos
Sony a6000 / Samyang 100mm 2.8 lens (= to 150mm)
• Star tracker
Skywatcher - Staradventurer 2i
• Processed in Lightroom, Sequator, Photoshop, starnet++, OrionX
• Location: Parque Nacional Sajama, Bolivia
• Subject: M-31 Andromeda Galaxy
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Available for printing in Bolivian territory