Southern Cross from New Zealand

[moondog]

Exceptionally clear last night. Managed to get a good go at the Southern Cross.

Can't get any further down to try Omega Centauri due to hills and trees in the way.

15 subs x 30 secs, darks, bias and flats. Canon 350D EOS, 28mm @ F 5.6 on fixed photo tripod.

MD

(click to enlarge)

The Southern Cross is the four stars in a diamond pattern bottom centre right of the screen, just above the gap in the trees.

[centroid]

That's an interesting 'shot' John, and VERY much deeper than the one I took from WA, last April.

BTW, the lines aren't really there, I drew them in, and neither does Alpha Centauri actually have a 'label'

Dave

[barkis]

That sure is a densly packed bit of sky MD.

That dark patch is the Coal sack is it not, and naked eye visible I believe.

It appears as if the trees had been lit by a flash gun, but the look too far away for that to be the case.

Cheers.

Ron.

[moondog]

Dave

I think this shot is as 'deep' as I've managed in NZ so far. It's a pretty dark site - even though I can walk into the city of Nelson from here in 10 minutes. With your shot you obviously managed to get further down to the horizon than I can - wish I could.

Ron

Yes -it's a pretty dense area for stars isn't it ? When the wife looked over my shoulder when I'd finished processing the image, she said that it looked like a handful salt thrown on black cloth. Correct - the dark area is the coal sack and you can see it by eye.

I could hardly see the trees that look to be lit up when I took the images. I think there's a house a bit further up the track and it may be a light from a window. There aren't any streetlights around the house we're in.

8)

MD

[moondog]

I attach an enhanced enlargement of the area around the Southern Cross, showing the compexity of the region.

MD

(click to enlarge)

[Cloudwatcher]

Complex is right! Wish I had skies like that.

CW

[cygnusx1]

Complex is right! Wish I had skies like that.

CW

Me 2 , me 2!!!

[Sam]

Nice pic! The Southern Cross is my favourite constellation! Good to see some familiar skies.

[The Warthog]

Seeing that, and the Clouds of Magellan, are definitely on my bucket list.