| I admit to being a longtime astronomy nerd and I've taken a LOT of night sky pictures over the years. That pic looks perfectly genuine to me although it has obviously been through a bit of the usual digital processing (color balance, contrast, sharpness, etc.) But the reason you see so many stars and why the milky way is so bright is because it's a time exposure. You would never be able to see a view like that from anywhere with just the naked eye. I have been to Flagstaff once and it's beautiful and very worthwhile. I saw the stars from the grand canyon later that night and they were absolutely spectacular. The view from Flagstaff - being about the same elevation (7,000 ft) and geographical location - would be the same.
From Wikipedia:
As home to a major astronomical observatory [Lowell observatory on Mars Hill], the city has recognized an interest in preserving its dark skies by keeping light pollution to a minimum. In 1958, the city council passed the nation's first ordinance governing outdoor lighting, and similar ordinances in the latter half of the 20th century have maintained this commitment to preserving Flagstaff's dark skies.
On October 24, 2001, Flagstaff was recognized by the International Dark-Sky Association as the world's first "International Dark-Sky City." .
__________________
Purple is a fruit.- H. Simpson
| 
.
