The Milky Way season kicked-off prematurely this year; astrophotographers planned late night trips at 4:30AM after its rise and just a few minutes before sunrise. 
While we got used to seeing Milky Way photos starting mid-March, clouds cleared out early this year. The MW will continue to rise until it fades into light pollution in September and beneath the horizon in October.

Captured by Karim Boukarim - Akoura, 26/02/2017

What is the ‘Milky Way season’? Is that even a thing?

Well, it is!... kind of. From the northern hemisphere the brightest area of the Milky Way (around the galactic center) is visible during summer time when it is higher in the sky. This part of the sky is enjoyable for stargazers due to its visibility with unaided eye and it is absorbing for astrophotographers for its colourfulness and well defined structure.

Taken by Georges Michel Boutros - Cedars, 05/03/2017

What's the deal with capturing the Milky Way at this early stage?

Nothing in particular. But, planning and traveling accordingly is rewarding for astroshooters, especially hobbyists who shoot for personal satisfaction - and it is tremendously satisfying; many people like to spend their weekends under a starry and clear dark sky away from city noise pollution.

Captured by Jihad Asmar - Akoura, 05/03/2017

Why is Lebanon a good place to shoot the Milky Way comparing to others?

While many reasons come to mind, I will restrict my listing to the primary ones.
First of all, you should bare in mind that the more populated an area is the more light it produces and the more artificial lights interact with the particles of air between the camera sensor and the sky the higher light pollution becomes, thus making it harder to distinguish stars in the sky. As it happens, the Milky Way rises from the east and Lebanon’s most populated cities are centered on the western coast and for this reason night photographers in Lebanon escape to the mountains in order to get away from city light to shoot the MW.

The second reason that comes to mind is Lebanon’s geographical characteristic which comes in favor of night photographers. Oh yes we have mountains (Lebanon's highest peak is of 3088m while The Netherlands' is only of 322m max). That doesn’t mean that the higher you go the darker the sky it is, it’s a common misconception – highest peaks are sometimes exposed to more light than lower surrounding ones.

Finally, the Milky Way rises in the east from behind the mountains, high and steep mountains act as a shield against light originating from nearby villages. 

Captured by yours truly Moophz.com  using a tracking mount  - Akoura, 26/02/2017

Is summer version the only sought region of the Milky Way?

Not at all, the winter MW is significantly important from an astrophotography perspective rather than astro-landscape, it requires more complex equipment than just a camera and a tripod. Below is a winter MW photo taken by Khalil Azar using a tracking mount (Amateur astronomer publishing photos on BeirutVersus). This image is from December 2016.

How to see the Milky Way?

There are many apps that help you locate and calculate the rise of the MW during summer nights, if you don't have any of them, just use the compass of your mobile and look towards the east. You might notice a faint big cloud in the sky, that's the Milky Way.

Photo by Elie Kh - Falougha, 06/03/2017

Below are some useful resources for Night and Astro Photography in Lebanon:

If you like night photos, you can enjoy Lebanon's nightscapes by following The Night Collective Facebook page

If you are into photography and planning to advance in night shooting, join the Night Collective Facebook group and shoot with them, they organize night events and shoot by groups. Don't be shy asking for their advice, it's way harder to shut them up than making them talk.

If you want to gain deeper knowledge in astrophotography, BeirutVersus arrange private workshops for this matter.

The below photo was captured by Tarek El Wazzi - Akoura, 05/03/2017