2015 Sept. 18 ~ The Milky Way from Taurus to Vela

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Photographed 20 km south of Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia

(300 km southeast of Darwin, at latitude 14.5 degrees south)

 

* Total exposure time: 9 minutes.

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Description:

 

This is an ultra wide-angle view of or home galaxy - the Milky Way - in the opposite direction to the centre of the galaxy in the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius. This part of the Milky Way is not often photographed, and is challenging because it is fainter than the other half of the galaxy.

 

The nine subframes that were combined to form this image were captured between 04.31 and 04.51 CAST (Central Australian Standard Time), ending half an hour before the start of morning twilight.

 

Here is the equipment used to make this image:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/21202535154

 

In this view we see the following:

 

* Upper left: The tight cluster of bright stars is M45 - the Pleiades - in the constellation Taurus (the Bull). At the left edge toward the top is the oblong, deep red gas cloud known as the California Nebula.

 

* Centre of the frame: The familiar star pattern of the constellation Orion (the Hunter) dominates this part of the photo. Several red hydrogen gas clouds can be seen here, including the semi-circular Barnard's Loop.

 

* Centre right: The brilliant star Canopus, in the constellation Carina (the Keel), is near the right edge of the frame. It is the second brightest star in the sky, outshone only by Sirius (the Dog Star), which appears just below and to the right of centre in this photo.

 

* Lower right: In the constellation Vela (the Sail) we see large red hydrogen gas clouds that are not often shown in long exposure astrophotos.

 

* Centre bottom: The zodiacal light is a pyramid rising from the horizon in the hour before morning twilight starts.

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Technical information:

 

Nikkor AF-S 14-24 mm f/2.8G ED lens on Nikon D810a camera body, mounted on Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer tracking mount with a Kirk Enterprises ball head

 

Nine stacked frames; each frame:

14 mm focal length

ISO 4000; 1 minute exposure at f/4

(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)

 

Stacked in RegiStar;

Processed in Photoshop CS6 (brightness, contrast, levels, colour balance)

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Done