By: Alex
Netizen TanestarP (@TanestarP) captured a photo on Japan’s Shiretoko Peninsula at the northeastern tip of Hokkaido, featuring Mount Rausu alongside the starry night sky. In his tweet, he wrote:“You definitely won’t regret it—come check out Shiretoko’s starry sky.”Indeed, the photo received high praise from other netizens and has since garnered over 100,000 likes and more than 23,000 retweets.
I definitely won’t let you regret it, so tap to see the starry sky of Shiretoko. pic.twitter.com/iyRG8mE1sC
— (@TanestarP) August 23, 2020
From a photographic technique perspective, the photo itself is actually quite ordinary, but it still received widespread acclaim, most likely due to that ultra-high-definition starry sky. The densely packed stars, dot by dot, are truly spectacular. Some netizens described it as “like a frying pan coated in diamonds,” while stargazing enthusiasts were amazed: “I could see the Andromeda Galaxy M31 with the naked eye—even my home telescope can’t show that.”
▲ Not only the “Andromeda Galaxy M31 visible to the naked eye,” but the neighboring Triangulum Galaxy M33 is also faintly visible. (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
TanestarP later revealed more details about the photo shoot. He used a Sony A7R IV camera and a 16-35mm F2.8 GM lens; the shooting method was relatively simple: an exposure time of 25 seconds, an ISO of 6400, and an aperture of F3.5. The shot was taken around 1 a.m. To upload it quickly to social media, he made only minor edits using the Lightroom app on his phone after transferring the image. He believes the result would have been even better if he had edited it on a computer.
▲ The starry sky photo was actually taken right by the roadside. (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
▲ TanestarP also visited different spots on the Shiretoko Peninsula to capture starry sky photos. (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
▲ The starry sky of the Shiretoko Peninsula (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
In fact, TanestarP enjoys motorcycling, traveling, and camping. He is currently on a road trip in eastern Hokkaido, and the location where the starry sky photo was taken is near Mount Rausu (Cantonese pronunciation: ka, a Japan-made kanji character meaning mountain peak or mountain pass). At 738 meters above sea level, this spot is the highest point along National Route 334 between the towns of Rausu and Shari. Even in late July, you can still spot patches of leftover white snow here. With good weather, you might even catch a glimpse of Kunashiri Island—one of the “Northern Territories” currently under territorial dispute.
▲ TanestarP loves motorcycling, traveling, and camping, and enjoys photographing the starry sky. (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
▲ (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
▲ (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
▲ (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
▲ (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
▲ (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
▲ (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
▲ (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
▲ (Photo by TanestarP @twitter)
Source: @TanestarP, Good Hokkaido!