Not everyone gets to experience the Milky Way arch in its full glory, especially both the summer and winter arms in one night. Angel Fux, a dedicated photographer, set out to capture this extraordinary sight. She planned her journey to Dent d’Hérens, a high peak nearly 14,000 feet tall on the Italy-Switzerland border, enduring frigid temperatures that dipped below minus 28 degrees Celsius (minus 18 degrees Fahrenheit).
Finding this double arch is rare, typically visible for only a brief period around the equinox. “I stumbled upon this phenomenon a few years ago and knew I had to photograph it,” Fux shared. In 2022, her first attempt gained attention, inspiring more photographers to try their hand at it.
However, for the perfect shot, she needed darker skies, pushing her to a higher summit. Many climbers avoid this peak in the winter, especially at night. “Photographers usually don’t venture there because the gear for astrophotography and alpine climbing don’t mix well,” she explained on her blog.
To make this challenging trek possible, she teamed up with mountain guide Richard Lehner, and they arranged for a helicopter lift to the summit. Fux brought a camera modified for astrophotography, along with a sleeping bag rated for extreme cold. “Safety was crucial; I had to stay secured when outside the tent due to the dangerous cornices around,” she said.
Before the shoot, she spent time acclimating and testing her equipment. However, a camera glitch left her concerned when it recorded a long sequence without saving the images. “I learned that turning the camera off and on can solve some issues, but it’s vital to regularly check your shots,” she advised.
On March 19, they flew to the summit. “Once the helicopter left, I realized we were committed for the night,” Fux reflected. The first half brought the winter arch, and the second revealed the summer arch. Unexpectedly, she also spotted a third arc, known as the Gegenschein, which is very faint and rarely captured. “This ambient glow comes from sunlight reflecting off interplanetary dust,” she explained.
In the end, what began as a double arch became a stunning triple arch. Returning safely, Fux faced a significant editing task, dedicating 40 hours to create her masterpiece. She worked with FITS files, typically used in scientific astronomy, which retain more data for detailed imagery. “I spent the first hours just analyzing data, which was quite different from my usual process,” she noted.
Fux’s final image featured 260 exposures combined from various phases, taking up about 300 gigabytes of storage. This captured a unique view of the Alps and a celestial event never seen before in this way. “To find truly dark skies in Europe, you often need to climb higher, as light pollution is rampant below,” she pointed out.
When she shared the final image with her parents, their concerns shifted to enthusiasm, with them wanting a large print. “It seems to have changed their perspective about my risky adventures,” she said with a smile.
For more of Angel Fux’s stunning work, visit her website and Instagram.
Image credits: Photographs by Angel Fux
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