2018 May 15 ~ The centre of our Milky Way galaxy

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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 01.53 and 02.26 CAST (Central Australian Standard Time)

 

* Altitude of centre of frame at time of exposures: 70°

* Temperature 10° C.

* Total exposure time: 16 minutes

* 35 mm focal length wide angle lens

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Description:

 

The centre of our home galaxy, the Milky Way, lies in the constellation Sagittarius, in the middle of the prominent bulge of stars and nebulae in this view, made with a wide angle 35 mm lens. Numerous star clusters, dark foreground gas clouds, and pink hydrogen gas nebulae are strewn across the frame.

 

The centre of the Milky Way lies very low on the horizon as seen from the northern hemisphere. Astronomers travel to the south in order to see the magnificence of the Milky Way straight overhead in the months of May-August.

 

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@N06/42246055924

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Technical information:

 

Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM ART Lens on Nikon D810a camera body, mounted on Sky-Watcher HEQ5 equatorial mount with Kirk Enterprises ball head

 

Sixteen stacked subframes - each frame:

ISO 2500; 1 minute exposure at f/4, 35 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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Done