2018 May 11 ~ The Southern Milky Way in the constellations Centaurus, Crux and Carina [WITH LABELS]

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Photographed 11 km east-southeast of Coober Pedy, South Australia, long. 134.85° E., lat. 27.08° S., between 21.47 and 22.17 CAST (Central Australian Standard Time)

 

* Altitude of centre of frame at time of exposures: 59°

* Temperature 10° C.

* Total exposure time: 12 minutes

* 50 mm focal length lens

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Description:

 

The three "C" constellations - Centaurus, Crux and Carina - feature many noteworthy objects that southern hemisphere astronomers love to observe and photograph. The Milky Way winds its way through the centres of these constellations, making for a striking spectacle even to the unaided eye gazing skyward from a dark sky location.

 

The Southern Cross appears in the centre of this image. For a close-up view of this star pattern, click here:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/28578438088

 

Near the top right in this view is the red-pink hydrogen emission nebula surrounding the variable star Eta Carinae. For a close-up view of this nebula, made in Nov. 2014, click here:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/15976551352

 

And at left, side by side, are the two first magnitude stars Alpha and Beta Centauri, which are the 3rd and 11th brightest stars in the sky (other than the Sun).

 

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 WITHOUT LABELS, click on your screen to the LEFT of the photo, or click here:

www.flickr.com/photos/97587627@N06/40677263810

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Technical information:

 

Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens on Nikon D810a camera body, mounted on Sky-Watcher HEQ5 equatorial mount with Kirk Enterprises ball head

 

Twelve stacked subframes - each frame:

ISO 2500; 1 minute exposure at f/4, 50 mm focal length, unguided (with LENR - long exposure noise reduction)

 

Subframes stacked in RegiStar;

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

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