A More Detailed View than Usual of The Milky Way
All my previous photos with the Milky Way have been done from a static tripod, and I used (relatively) short exposure times in order to freeze it above the landscape. However, I recently purchased an iOptron SkyTracker Pro, which pans the camera with the sky's movement. It enables much longer exposures before the stars start to blur.
This image is an average of 12 30-second, f/2.8, ISO 4000 images taken with the Rokinon 50mm f/1.4. It reveals quite a bit more structure in the Milky Way than my typical shots. It was taken from the dark, clear skies of Mauna Kea. If only my camera was modified for H-Alpha sensitivity...
What does this image show? The dark band is dust which blocks light coming from the glowing gas and dust toward the center of the milky way. Our galaxy is a disk with a central bulge, and we are located 25,000 light years from the center. The density of stars and gas and dust increases toward the center of the milky way, but (at least at optical wavelengths), we can't actually see to the center due to all the dust in the way. However, if we observe at infrared or longer wavelengths, it's possible to see through the dust and map the galaxy.
A More Detailed View than Usual of The Milky Way
All my previous photos with the Milky Way have been done from a static tripod, and I used (relatively) short exposure times in order to freeze it above the landscape. However, I recently purchased an iOptron SkyTracker Pro, which pans the camera with the sky's movement. It enables much longer exposures before the stars start to blur.
This image is an average of 12 30-second, f/2.8, ISO 4000 images taken with the Rokinon 50mm f/1.4. It reveals quite a bit more structure in the Milky Way than my typical shots. It was taken from the dark, clear skies of Mauna Kea. If only my camera was modified for H-Alpha sensitivity...
What does this image show? The dark band is dust which blocks light coming from the glowing gas and dust toward the center of the milky way. Our galaxy is a disk with a central bulge, and we are located 25,000 light years from the center. The density of stars and gas and dust increases toward the center of the milky way, but (at least at optical wavelengths), we can't actually see to the center due to all the dust in the way. However, if we observe at infrared or longer wavelengths, it's possible to see through the dust and map the galaxy.