Why Stargazing photography experience in Norway is so demanding but satisfying?

Stargazing in Norway is a bit demanding experience. More specifically, in the northern hemisphere bright parts of the milky way are not so highlighted because this is the direction of the constellation of Sagittarius which is too high on the northern horizon. Still, the likelihood of gazing at the starry night sky and the milky way is highly possible in low light pollution locations, such as Trysil, Romsdalen or more arctic circle areas either in the winter or summertime. Before I dive into the section regarding where photographers can do stargazing including my personal discovery offering the best milky way location in Norway imaginable, let’s write a few words about constellations themselves you can admire in the Viking land.

According to the European Southern Observatory, weather conditions in the arctic and middle Norway are the most stable during winter which guarantees to see really bright parts of night sky constellations in near-constant darkness. The arctic circle is one of the top location hailed as the most commonly visited for watching Circumpolar Constellations. This constellation is considered to be seen all year round. It refers to their position relative to the earth remaining fairly unchanged through any season of the year. Famous constellations in the north are Draco, Cassiopeia, and Cepheus and Ursa Minor from which the last one is presumably ranked among the most famous group of stars seen in the North. Polaris is the brightest star in the group of Ursa Minor, famously known as the North Star being located right above the North Pole. Added to that for ages people have been using it for wayfinding. Just look up to spot these star groups above you.

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19 July 2021

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19 July 2021

I have been searching for stargazing locations in Norway for 7 years. Trysil and the arctic circle offer spots overlooking beautiful constellations. However, the majority of stargazing guides forget to mention one hidden jam I discovered myself to please my camera and release my artistic flow. It is a beautiful valley of Vangedalen in the area of Romsdalseggen nestled 660 metres above sea level in Romsdal near Åndalsnes.

Due to low light pollution in Vangedalen Valley, photographers are able to gaze at blaring stars and the milky way at ease. The location is meticulously sandwiched between 2 wide spreading mountain ranges separating the place from the city light of Åndalsnes.

There are two locations in Romsdalseggen which are the kingpin of star constellation photography in the North.

The first one can be spotted near the Vengedalen lake at the bottom of the Romsdallsege range. To create some photography compositions of the night sky scenes in this location, I was keeping myself wrapped with thermal blankets in – 25 in 2018. I believe my shaking body affected photo sharpness a bit but it did not mess up with the general composition I was trying to convey. At that time,personally, I discovered a little waterfall close to the Vangedalseva river where I typically brush my teeth once I travel there in the summertime. The waterfall smoothed by optical filters or long exposure sharpens my photography senses a lot. The discovery is made by me however, interestingly enough, there are already some photographers who made an effort like Henrik Ole Skjelstad in his photography ”Point of Confluence” by encapsulating the majesty of the scene in Pano from 3 verticals.

The second one is located in front of Littefjelt by the pond overlooking rugged Trollveggen known for the influx of climbers and base jumpers from all over the world in recent years. The pond illuminated by the night light gives the grand opportunity to capture reflection of either the Litefjelet silhouette and star constellations themselves. It helps to conjure the most dramatic fine art photographs at night imaginable. Moreover, as the photographer try something creative. Pitch your tent by Litefjell, turn on the tent lamp and incorporate these elements into your artistic composition. Obviouslly, There are various artistic ideas you can use to enjoy your photography of start constallations in this absolutely jaw-dropping place on Earth.