2018 May 14 ~ The Southern Cross & The Coal Sack in the constellation Crux

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Photographed outside Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, Northern Territory, Australia (440 km by road southwest of Alice Springs), long. 131.04° E., lat. 25.22° S., between 01.42 and 02.05 CAST (Central Australian Standard Time)

 

* Altitude of Crux at time of exposures: 45-42°

* Temperature 10° C.

* Total exposure time: 7 minutes

* 135 mm focal length lens

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Description:

 

One of the best known star patterns in the sky - but one that is visible only from the northern hemisphere south of latitude 25° or from the southern hemisphere - is the Southern Cross, which is formed by three very bright stars and one fainter star in the constellation Crux (The Cross).

 

Nearby (to the left of centre in this view) is the dark foreground nebula called the "Coal Sack".

 

This part of the sky is strewn with numerous open star clusters.

 

This is the telescope and mount that I used for my astrophotography on this trip:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/28602350028

 

For a version of this photo WITH LABELS, click on your screen to the RIGHT of the photo, or click here:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/27581418417

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Technical information:

 

Nikkor AF-S 70-200 mm f/2.8 G ED VRII lens on Nikon D850 camera body, mounted on Sky-Watcher HEQ5 equatorial mount with Kirk Enterprises ball head

 

Seven stacked subframes; each frame:

ISO 3200; 1 minute exposure at f/4.5, unguided

(with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)

 

Subframes stacked in RegiStar;

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

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Done