Getting contrast and color out of a milky way shot is not very complicated. There are a few filters and techniques that will allow you to get more stunning images.

Editing a night image is not that complicated but when dealing with astrophotography or editing milky way images, using a RAW image is a absolutely required. If you want to edit milky way images in Photoshop or Lightroom, taking a picture of the galaxy during the summer will increase your chances of getting a good bright shot.

I this tutorial I will give you a real RAW image of the milky way so you can practice.