Milky Way Window Over the Rub Al Khali

Image Title: A mid winter night's dream

Copyright: Apostolos Kyriazis

Date image was taken: December 21, 2025

Location: Razeen, Rub Al Khali desert, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Data Acquisition Method: Personal Telescope Setup

Description and Details: Track/Blend/Panorama
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Razeen, aka the "Milky Way spot" is one of the easiest accessible spots with a dark sky in the UAE -just 80km south of Abu Dhabi.
It is that ease and of course the beauty of the Rub Al Khali desert that makes it so popular to people that drive all the way there to bbq, quadbike and camp in the dunes.
However, this is often a nightmare for those ones who seek solitude within the dunes and dark spots for starshooting.

On the night of the Winter Solstice, i was doing deep sky imaging at the @eao_ae
but on the way back, I stopped at the dunes nearby for some extra nightscapes. Well, I struggled to find a dark spot, unaffected by passing cars and trekking people with spotlights!

This is a 360° panorama at one of those spots. Still, there is this person showing at the top of this dune, 100m away from me, lighting up his way.

The sky was majestic though. It was a gift from the desert. Crispy, low, cool winds keeping humidity low. It was 2am. The Orion Arm of the Milky Way was already on its zenith. So the only projection working is the little planet one!
North is up, South is down. The Milky Way crosses the skydome with Cassiopeia on the West, Orion on top and the mighty Gum nebula on Vela rising.
Jupiter outshines Sirius, within a faint, diagonal zodiacal light.
A night to remember.

Canon Ra and Sigma Art 14mm f/1.8
360° Pano in 3 rows (8+8+1)
Land: 8 frames: 30sec, f/2, iso1600.
Sky: 9 (8 +1 on the zenith) tracked frames: 180sec, f/2, iso6400, IDAS NBZ-II DRE filter.
Mount used: iOptron Skyguider pro.
Post work at LrC, Sequator, PtGui, Ps.

Name: Apostolos Kyriazis

Website or Facebook Profile: http://Www.instagram.com/akyriaz