How I took this shot -

First and foremost! Find a location that is away from city lights. Believe it or not, at night, street lights, house lights, car lights, flash lights, etc. affect your exposure!

Equipment used -

Canon EOS Rebel XS

Canon 75~300 MM Zoom at 300 MM

Tripod for stability

Wireless Remote Shutter Release

Program Mode (let Camera select aperature, shutter speed and film speed)

Advanced Camera settings - Mirror Lockup

After processing - Picasa to eliminate some of the noise in the dark sky.