This mosaic or panorama frames the rich region of the southern Milky Way in the small constellations of Norma (on the right) and Ara (on the left) in
This mosaic or panorama frames the rich region of the southern Milky Way in the small constellations of Norma (on the right) and Ara (on the left) in the Milky Way south of Scorpius. The bright Norma Starcloud is at bottom right with the rich star cluster NGC 6067 ermbedded in it. The large red nebula at top in Ara is NGC 6188, aka RCW 108, that surrounds a loose star cluster NGC 6193. The nebula has become known as the Fighting Dragons of Ara, from its apperance in close-up images. To the right of the large nebula is the small double-lobed planetary nebula NGC 6164, though it is tiny at this image scale. The star clusters below the nebula are NGC 6167 (left) and NGC 6134 (on the right). The stars at left belong to Ara. Looking somewhat starlike at this scale are two globular star clusters in Ara: NGC 6397, a superb globular at lower left, and NGC 6352, a smaller globular at upper left above the blue star Alpha Arae. Just to the right of Alpha Arae is the open star cluster IC 4651. This is a stitch of two segments, each a stack of just 6 x 2 minute exposures with the Canon RF135mm lens at f/2 on the Canon Ra at ISO 800, tracked but not guided on the Astro-Physics AP400 mount. The lens had an URTH 82mm Night broadband filter on it. Taken on a night devoted to shooting 135mm fields along the Milky Way, in March 2024 from the Warrumbungles Mountain Motel near Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. Some thin cloud added the natural star glows. The threat of incoming clouds kept the exposure sequences short to allow time to shoot other fields in the area.
Size: 10416px × 4677px
Photo credit: © Alan Dyer / VWPics / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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