The Scutum Starcloud in the Milky Way, with the bright star cluster Messier 11 embedded within it. M11 is known as the Wild Duck Cluster. Below and to
The Scutum Starcloud in the Milky Way, with the bright star cluster Messier 11 embedded within it. M11 is known as the Wild Duck Cluster. Below and to the right of M11 is another Messier cluster, the smaller M26. Directly below M11 is the star cluster NGC 6712, paired with the small green planetary nebula IC 1295, which barely shows up on this scale. At lower right is the small star cluster NGC 6649. Surrounding the bright starclouds are dark dust clouds are varying densities. Some are almost starless. Most of these dark regions carry "B" designations from Barnard's catalogue of dark nebulas. For example, the large dark region above M11 is mostly B111. The bright starclouds in this area of the Milky Way are tinted yellow by absorption of short wavelengths by the intervening dust between us and the inner spiral arm that contains the stars of Scutum, the Shield. This is a stack of 12 x 2-minute exposures, with the Canon RF135mm lens at , on the Canon Ra at ISO 800. Taken as part of testing the MSM (MoveShootMove) Nomad tracker, so these are all tracked but unguided images. In a set of 60 test shots, about 1/3rd were untrailed, and of those I used the 12 taken in the middle of the short June night when the sky was darkest. North is to the upper left in this framing.
Size: 6720px × 4480px
Photo credit: © Alan Dyer / VWPics / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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