Caption: Second place in the 2021 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Wide star fields. This panoramic dawn image shows the majestic band of the Milky Way – our home Galaxy – made up of a few hundred billion stars, among other structures, most of which are not detectable by our eyes, or in some cases even directly with telescopes. The appearance of the band is because the Milky Way is a disc-shaped galaxy, and we (Earth/Solar System) are situated within the disc. Diverse cultures and traditions around the world each have their own name and cultural stories for the Milky Way. The dark regions visible in the Milky Way are large, dense, cool nebulae (clouds of dust and gas), which obscure the light from stars in the Milky Way. The Indigenous Australians associate stories with the dark patches of the Milky Way, one of the most prominent being the Emu in the Sky (called Tchingal in Wotjobaluk country). In and around the band of the Milky Way there are a vast range of star clusters, two familiar ones are M6 (Butterfly cluster) and M7 (Ptolemy’s cluster). The bright point just above the horizon is the planet Venus (known to the Boorong people of Indigenous Australia as Chargee Gnowee, elder sister of the Sun). Within the band of the Milky Way the brightest point in the image is the planet Jupiter (called Ginabongbearp, the Sulphur-crested white cockatoo by the Boorong). The planet Saturn is the bright point between Venus and Jupiter (closer to Venus than Jupiter). There are two constellations and one asterism that can be easily discerned in the image: Aquila, Scorpio (Maui’s Hook), and Teapot (asterism in Sagittarius). In this image, the center of the Milky Way at an approximate distance of 26,000 light years from Earth, is located roughly to the top right of the Teapot spout. The bright red-orange point to the right of Jupiter is the red supergiant star Antares and is part of the constellation Scorpio (known as Maui’s Hook in Māori and Polynesian cultures). This variation in the colour of stars is the result of temperature of the stars (lower temperature stars are redder, higher temperatures stars are bluer).
Credit: Amirreza Kamkar/IAU OAE

Caption: Third place in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Time lapses of celestial patterns.   This video tries to cover a huge variety of phenomena in the night sky from different locations — Iceland and China — and is designed like a theatre play, starring mother nature herself. It starts with a blue twilight sky that dims and unveils the starry night sky on the stage with terrestrial clouds on a beautiful landscape. The impressive parts of the southern Milky Way between Scorpius and Crux, with the pointer stars Alpha and Beta Centaurus, are shown passing by majestically. The terrestrial clouds blur the stars and allow us to recognise their colours even more clearly. The first act presents the starry sky in human culture. One scene shows the Pleiades rising over the top of a hill, while a human moves hastily with a flashlight below. At the very moment that the Pleiades rises behind the hill, the beam of the flashlight hits the camera. There is some humour in this remarkable scene referencing the human relationship to the rise of the Pleiades in cultural history. The next scene shows The Big Dipper, Ursa Major, as a typical northern constellation, with an arch of aurora below it. The aurora evolves and moves but does not change much fundamentally. In northern human cultures, aurorae were often interpreted as the ghosts of ancestors, but this play does not spend any time on human beliefs, instead moving the view southwards in the subsequent scenes. First we see some stars rising shortly before sunrise. The lightcone of Zodiacal light appears in Gemini/Taurus and the horizon gets brighter. In the next scene, at about 1 minute and 13 seconds, we see Orion setting over water, so that the water surface mirrors the celestial scene. Some clouds crossing the image prove that the videos were really taken on our beautiful planet, and, since Orion’s shoulder and foot are seen to set almost simultaneously, this sequence must have been captured almost at the equator. In this area, the bright stars of Orion look like a huge butterfly, with Orion’s Belt forming the body, and the quadrilateral of four bright stars interpreted as the wings. As in a real theatre, we now see a curtain before the next act of the heavenly play, an aurora curtain. The next act presents several bright stars in original scenes: the Chinese asterisms of The Tail (of the Azure Dragon), the Winnowing Basket and the Southern Dipper, which are seen in the modern constellations Scorpius and Sagittarius. The striking shape of Corona Borealis that has been recognised as an asterism in many cultures all over the globe, is also shown, as are some planets, the stars Vega and Deneb with adjacent areas, Altair, the Milky Way, and the characteristic W shape of Cassiopeia that has also been an asterism for many cultures on Earth. The outro presents two more scenes with a smooth and silent night sky.
Credit: Stephanie Ye Ziyi/IAU OAE

Caption: Honourable mention in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Time lapses of celestial patterns.   This time-lapse was shot from Slovakia in August 2020. By fixing the relative movement of the sky to Earth's rotation in some of the frames, we can experience a different perspective as a viewer. The Milky Way, our home galaxy, is visible throughout the whole video. The bright objects near the Milky Way are Jupiter and Saturn, close together, Jupiter being the brighter one. This video also shows the interaction of amateur astronomers observing the Perseids meteor shower with their telescopes pointed towards the sky. An unfortunate aspect of the art of astronomical observing, clouds can suddenly cover the whole sky. The fog occurs mostly because of the higher humidity after the rain. Most of the light trails in the sky are made by satellites, but some of them, appearing just very briefly and not very noticeably, are meteors, as the video was shot around the peak of Perseids meteor shower.
Credit: Robert Barsa/IAU OAE

Caption: Honourable mention in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Time lapses of celestial patterns.   Shot in December 2020, this time-lapse shows the sky from San Pedro de Atacama, Chile, in the southern hemisphere. Right in the first frame we can see our home galaxy, the Milky Way, as well as both the Large and Small Magellanic clouds, two satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way. In the bottom of the image the bright stars Rigil Kentaurus and Hadar (also known as Alpha and Beta Centauri) are visible, both in the constellation Centaurus. Just above, we can also see the small constellation Crux, visible from the northern tropical circles southwards. It is important for navigation purposes because its longer axis indicates the direction of the celestial south pole. The bright whitish star in the top of the image and to the right of the Galaxy is Canopus, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, located in the constellation Carina. Canopus is the second brightest star in the sky, while Rigil Kentaurus is the third brightest. In some of the next frames, Orion, the great hunter, appears clearly with its bright stars and its characteristic asterism, the belt, composed of three aligned bright stars. Since this video was taken from the southern hemisphere, the Greek hero from the northern hemisphere seems to be performing a headstand. We can also see the planets Jupiter and Saturn in a close conjunction, even finding themselves in the significant beam of Zodiacal light setting down below the horizon. There are also a few meteors blinking in some of the frames, one of them with a long-lasting and developing trail. The very bright object rising from behind the volcanoes of the Andes, creating spectacular shadows and crepuscular rays, is the Moon. In the last frame we see the Moon next to Saturn and Jupiter.
Credit: Robert Barsa/IAU OAE

Caption: Première place au concours d'astrophotographie 2022 de l'IAU OAE, catégorie "Time lapses of celestial patterns". Cette vidéo est une compilation de plusieurs enregistrements pris à diverses occasions en juin 2019, à la fois sur l'île de Pâques et dans le désert d'Atacama au Chili. Elle commence par une ouverture impressionnante composée de nuages semblant émerger derrière les célèbres statues de l'Île de Pâques et se déplaçant directement vers l'avant en direction de l'observateur. Cette ouverture crée l'impression que les divinités puissantes envoient des nuages pour couvrir le ciel nocturne. Dans les deux scènes suivantes, nous voyons des paysages terrestres avec une magnifique Voie lactée tournant au-dessus de nos têtes, mais cette scène tranquille est continuellement interrompue par des satellites en chute ou - dans l'une des scènes - par les lumières des voitures au sol. Ce film illustre à la fois la majesté du ciel et la perturbation de la nature par l'influence humaine. Puis il y a une autre scène de nuages qui passent, mais maintenant de gauche à droite. Les nuages terrestres passent sous les nuages d'étoiles qui forment la Voie lactée. La dernière scène montre un motif immobile d'étoiles qui ressemble à un vol au-dessus d'une photographie agrandie, et montre que nous ne sommes pas habitués à faire l'expérience du calme et du silence de la nature.
Credit: Jianfeng Dai/IAU OAE

Caption: Winner in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Still images of celestial patterns.   This image was taken in February 2020 in the Coquimbo Region along the northern coast of Chile. It is one of the best places on Earth for astronomical observations, thanks to its clear skies, lack of light pollution and lack of precipitation, as it is close to the Atacama desert, one of the driest places on our planet. It is no coincidence that many of the most modern professional observatories are located here. The picture shows prominent patterns visible in the southern latitudes, containing rich cultural significance for various Indigenous groups of the southern world. In the bottom of the image towards the right, the Southern Cross is prominent. The orange star at the top of the Southern Cross is called Gacrux (gamma crux). The people in Chile celebrate the beginning of winter at the beginning of May when the constellation Crux is high up in the sky; for them it is a symbol of the start of the cold season. For the festival of the Cruz de Mayo (the Great Cross), they put candles next to crosses in their villages when the constellation Crux is high. As in Christianity, the four endpoints (stars) of the cross symbolise the cardinal virtues. For some indigenous Chileans, they represent the fundamental cultural principles: force, reciprocity, wisdom, and spirituality. Unlike modern constellations that are arrangements of several stars, Indigenous peoples sometimes associate stories with individual stars. In the case of the Southern Cross for example, the Boorong, Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali peoples of Australia refer to the star Gacrux as Bunya (the ring-tailed possum). From the Southern Cross to the left of the image are two bright stars, these are called the pointer stars (as they point to the Southern Cross). The Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali people refer to the pointer stars as the Bram-bram-bult brothers, who hunted and killed the giant Emu Tchingal. Alpha Centauri, which is the brighter and whiter of the two pointer stars, is the closest star to the Sun that we can see with our eyes, located just over four light-years away. To the bottom left of the Southern Cross is a dark nebula, which the Indigenous Australians see as the head of the Emu Tchnigal (the Coalsack Nebula). The pointers are located on the neck of the Emu. The image also shows two other IAU constellations, Centaurus (The Centaur) and Lupus (The Wolf), and HII regions of the Eta Carina Nebula (seen in pink).
Credit: Uwe Reichert/IAU OAE

Caption: Gagnant du concours d'astrophotographie 2022 de l'UAI OAE, catégorie Images fixes de motifs célestes. Cette image, prise depuis l'Avenue des Baobabs, Morondava, Madagascar, en juillet 2017, montre la trainée majestueuse de la Voie lactée, notre Galaxie, ainsi qu'une riche collection de constellations et d'astérismes : La Croix du Sud, le Centaure, le Scorpion, le Sagittaire et l'astérisme de la Théière. En bas à gauche de l'image, on peut voir la Croix du Sud et les étoiles Alpha (la plus brillante des deux) et Beta du Centaure, qui permettent de la distinguer de configurations similaires. Certaines cultures africaines associent la Croix du Sud à une girafe, tandis que d'autres associent les constellations à une horde de lions ou même à l'arbre de vie. Antarès, l'étoile la plus brillante de la constellation du Scorpion, est l'étoile rouge-orange au dessus du baobab central. Pour les Pokomo, peuple du sud-ouest du Kenya, en Afrique, la Voie lactée est associée à la fumée émanant d'un feu de camp allumé par les anciens. Les Khoikhoi de la région du Cap expliquent les couleurs des étoiles rouges et blanches par des racines rouges et blanches rôties sur un feu et jetées vers le ciel avec les cendres du feu. Les Xhosa, plus à l'est, considèrent la Voie lactée comme le poil dressé d'un énorme chien en colère, tandis que les Zoulous, près de Johannesburg, l'interprètent comme un flot de lances de leurs plus puissants guerriers. Les Polynésiens, qui étaient d'habiles marins et navigateurs, voient la constellation du Scorpion comme un hameçon et l'appellent l'hameçon du demi-dieu Maui. Pour les Djab Wurrung et les Jardwadjali, la Croix du Sud fait partie d'une histoire du Temps du Rêve impliquant Tchingal, les frères Bram-bram-bult (Alpha et Beta de la Grande Ourse, alias Dubhe et Merak), leur mère Druk (Delta de la Croix du Sud), et Bunya, le chasseur qui se transforme en opossum (Gacrux, étoile rouge au sommet de la Croix du Sud). Sur cette image, les planètes Saturne (le point brillant au-dessus d'Antarès) et Jupiter (le point brillant en bas à droite de l'image, près du tronc du baobab) sont visibles. Les cultures indigènes associent diverses histoires aux planètes. Par exemple, les peuples Kamilaroi et Wailan associent Saturne à wunygal, un petit oiseau. Les Boorong de l'ouest de l'État de Victoria associent Jupiter à Ginabongbearp, le chef des vieux esprits (Nurrumbunguttias), qui prend la forme totémique d'un cacatoès blanc à crête soufrée.
Credit: Amirreza Kamkar/UAI OAE

Caption: Mention honorable au concours d'astrophotographie 2022 de l'UAI OAE, catégorie Images fixes de motifs célestes. Cette image montre la Voie lactée traversant le ciel au-dessus de l'historique pont Bixby à Big Sur, une région montagneuse de Californie, aux États-Unis, en mai 2021. L'étoile située directement au-dessus du rivage est Antarès, une supergéante rouge dans le Scorpion. À sa gauche, les nuages de la Voie lactée semblent émerger du même point de l'horizon que la masse rocheuse. Au-dessus de l'horizon, sous la Voie lactée dans le quart gauche de l'image, se trouve une autre étoile brillante, Altaïr, de l'Aigle. Le scorpion étant considéré comme un animal dangereux, les hommes-scorpions (hybrides de l'homme et du scorpion) gardaient la porte de l'Autre Monde dans les récits babyloniennes, comme le rapporte la légende de Gilgamesh. L'aigle, en revanche, apparaît dans la légende babylonienne du roi Etana, qui a été emmené dans le ciel par un aigle et décrit le monde qu'il voit au-dessous de lui avec une distance de plus en plus grande. Les deux héros, Gilgamesh et Etana, sont à la recherche de "l'herbe de la vie", mais l'un en descendant, l'autre en montant. Gilgamesh veut retrouver son ami mort Enkidu et devenir lui-même immortel, tandis qu'Etana cherche l'herbe pour aider sa femme à tomber enceinte. Le scorpion et l'aigle sont les animaux qui soutiennent ces héros dans leur quête, finalement infructueuse. Gilgamesh a finalement appris que les humains ne peuvent devenir immortels qu'en accomplissant de bonnes actions pour l'humanité. L'aigle était également connu dans la culture grecque, mais ce n'est qu'à l'époque romaine qu'il est devenu le messager d'une âme morte, l'emportant vers les étoiles éternelles. C'est alors que Ptolémée créa une constellation pour représenter l'âme d'Antinoüs sous l'aigle classique. Ce jeune amant et conseiller de l'empereur romain Hadrien s'est noyé dans le Nil sept ans seulement avant l'achèvement de l'Almageste, et tout l'empire romain a observé un état de deuil national. La Voie lactée est considérée comme un "chemin des âmes" par de nombreuses cultures, mais ce n'est pas le cas dans la culture babylonienne. Cependant, dans la philosophie gréco-romaine, les parties blanches et brillantes de la Voie lactée entre Antarès et Altaïr, à l'intersection de la Voie lactée et du Zodiaque, ont une signification : Platon, Macrobe et d'autres philosophes l'appellent "le X dans le ciel", et la deuxième porte céleste était probablement considérée comme se trouvant à cet endroit (la première étant la porte formée par les Hyades et les Pléiades). Ces voies et ces portes célestes, représentées au-dessus d'un pont gigantesque dans le paysage et sur un site où les domaines de la terre et de l'océan se rencontrent, constituent une photographie incroyablement chargée. En outre, les nuages sombres de la Voie lactée situés directement au-dessus de la terre forment l'une des deux grandes constellations sombres des crocodiles, selon l'interprétation de certains habitants du sud de l'Australie.
Credit: Marcin Zajac/IAU OAE

Caption: Gagnant du concours d'astrophotographie 2022 de l'UAI OAE, catégorie Images fixes de motifs célestes. Cette image a été prise en juillet 2016 depuis le parc national d'Amboseli au Kenya, situé près de l'équateur. Dans la mythologie égyptienne d'Afrique du Nord, la Voie lactée était associée à une rivière sur laquelle naviguaient les dieux et les âmes. Les Zoulous d'Afrique du Sud interprètent ce motif de nuages d'étoiles sombres et brillantes comme un animal à la peau noire et blanche, tandis que les Khoikhoi et les San d'Afrique du Sud le considèrent comme "la route des étoiles". Dans plusieurs cultures sud-africaines, l'arc de la Voie lactée est un chemin vers les cieux formé par une déesse mère, selon un mythe de la création sud-africaine qui a été adopté au XIXe siècle à partir de recherches ethnologiques anciennes, mais qui a disparu aujourd'hui. Au milieu de l'image, à droite, se trouve l'étoile rouge brillante Antarès, dans la constellation du Scorpion, et en haut à gauche, l'étoile blanche Vega, considérée comme un Steenbok mâle par les peuples de la région du Cap. Les indigènes australiens ont de nombreux noms pour désigner la Voie lactée. Le peuple Yolnu de la région d'Arnhem, dans le Territoire du Nord de l'Australie, appelle la Voie lactée Milnguya, la rivière du ciel. L'un des principaux motifs de cette image est associé au contraste entre les régions claires et sombres de la Voie lactée. Ces régions sombres sont des nuages denses et froids de poussières et de gaz interstellaires, qui bloquent la lumière des étoiles situées derrière eux. L'un des motifs les plus visibles est celui de l'émeu céleste, appelé Tchingal par plusieurs peuples indigènes du sud de l'Australie. La tête et le bec de l'émeu (la nébuleuse Coalsack) se trouvent en bas à gauche de la Croix du Sud (en bas à droite de l'image), tandis que le corps et les pattes s'étendent vers la gauche. D'autres groupes indigènes associent les régions sombres à des grottes ou à des cours d'eau. L'orientation de l'émeu au cours de l'année fournit des indications importantes sur le moment de la cueillette des œufs d'émeu et sur la période d'éclosion des œufs. Certains mois, lorsque ces nuages de la Voie lactée sont proches de l'horizon, ils ne sont pas considérés comme des émeus mais comme deux crocodiles rampants. La figure moderne de la sombre nébuleuse de la Pipe est clairement visible au-dessus du centre de la galaxie ; la fumée de cette pipe atteint la région colorée de rho Ophiuchius à côté d'Antarès dans le Scorpion, l'étoile rouge-orange juste au-dessus de la Voie lactée. Les Boorong appellent Antarès, Djuit, le perroquet à croupion rouge, tandis que les Kokatha du désert occidental l'appellent Kogolongo, le cacatoès noir à queue rouge. En outre, quelques constellations notables peuvent être observées : le Cygne, l'Aigle, la Lyre, le Scorpion, le Sagittaire, la Croix du Sud et le Centaure. Les étoiles, Alpha et Bêta du Centaure, sont parfois interprétées comme les yeux de la bête dans certaines traditions sud-africaines.
Credit: Amirreza Kamkar/UAI OAE

Caption: Mention honorable au concours d'astrophotographie 2022 de l'UAI OAE, catégorie Images fixes de motifs célestes. Prise en mars 2016 dans le parc national de Bromo-Tengger-Semeru, sur l'île de Java, en Indonésie, cette image montre l'arc de la Voie lactée et de nombreuses constellations importantes, y compris la plupart des étoiles les plus brillantes du ciel nocturne. Dans le coin inférieur gauche, nous voyons alpha et bêta du Centaure, le premier plus bas et l'autre plus haut, tous deux situés dans la grande constellation du Centaure. Ils pointent vers la Croix du Sud, dont le grand axe pointe vers le pôle sud, qui se trouve à peu près à l'horizon car l'île de Java est presque à l'équateur. La Croix du Sud est presque entièrement obscurcie par les nuages, et seules les quatre étoiles brillantes sont visibles sur la photo. L'astérisme de la fausse croix (composé des étoiles d'Argo, le navire) est clairement visible un peu plus loin dans la Voie lactée, ce qui peut prêter à confusion. La tache rosée entre la vraie et la fausse croix est la nébuleuse de la Carène, située à environ 8500 années-lumière de la Terre, dans la constellation de la Carène, et invisible à l'œil nu. Dans la constellation de la Carène se trouve également Canopus, la deuxième étoile la plus brillante du ciel nocturne, visible juste en dessous de la galaxie et au-dessus de la route au sol. Sirius, l'étoile la plus brillante du ciel nocturne, est encore plus brillante. Sirius se trouve dans la constellation Canis Major, le Grand Chien, l'un des chiens qui suivent Orion, le Chasseur, représenté dans la moitié droite de cette image, juste au-dessus des nuages à l'horizon. La ceinture d'Orion, composée de trois étoiles brillantes, pointe vers Sirius en haut à gauche et vers Aldébaran en bas à droite, juste au-dessus de l'horizon. Orion contient certaines des étoiles les plus brillantes du ciel, ce qui en fait la constellation la plus colorée, car elle abrite Rigel, l'étoile bleuâtre brillante située sous la galaxie vers la droite, et Bételgeuse, l'étoile rougeâtre brillante située plus haut et à droite de Rigel. Entre elles se trouvent les trois étoiles qui forment la ceinture d'Orion, un astérisme célèbre. Juste à côté de la ceinture se trouve la Grande Nébuleuse d'Orion, une région de formation d'étoiles dont le centre brillant est visible à l'œil nu et également sur cette image. Au-dessus de Bételgeuse, mais de l'autre côté de la galaxie, nous voyons l'étoile brillante Procyon, dont le nom signifie littéralement "Avant le chien". D'un point de vue mythologique, elle est souvent considérée comme un petit astérisme à une étoile accompagnant Orion, et transformé en la constellation moderne de Canis Minor. Dans le coin supérieur droit, l'amas d'étoiles de la Ruche, dans la constellation du Cancer, est facilement reconnaissable. En dessous, on trouve la constellation des Gémeaux avec les étoiles Pollux et Castor, qui ne sont pas très visibles sur cette image. En revanche, la brillante étoile blanche Capella de la constellation du Cocher, le Chariot, brille à travers les nuages au milieu à droite de l'image. Une certaine pollution lumineuse est visible le long de la route.
Credit: Giorgia Hofer/IAU OAE

Caption: Gagnant du concours d'astrophotographie 2022 de l'UAI OAE, catégorie Images fixes de motifs célestes. Cette image de l'ensemble du ciel montre notre galaxie, la Voie lactée, traversant le zénith, point situé juste au-dessus de l'observateur, vue de Nagano, au Japon, en mai 2019. De telles images de l'ensemble du ciel peuvent être prises soit avec un objectif fish-eye, soit avec un miroir convexe au sol, ce dernier montrant également le photographe. Certaines des étoiles les plus brillantes du ciel nocturne sont visibles sur cette image, ainsi que deux des planètes géantes de notre système solaire : Jupiter, le point le plus brillant en bas de l'image, et Saturne, un autre point brillant juste à l'opposé de la galaxie, en bas et près de l'horizon. Directement à droite de la Voie lactée et en dessous de Jupiter, nous pouvons apercevoir l'étoile rouge Antarès, étoile principale de l'astérisme japonais du Cœur. Les constellations japonaises dérivent des anciennes constellations chinoises, qui ont été adoptées avec peu ou pas de changements. Dans cette tradition, le Cœur est le cœur du "Dragon d'azur", une super-constellation qui représente le printemps. Dans les traditions babylonienne et gréco-romaine, cette zone est considérée comme le cœur du Scorpion. Dans la religion babylonienne, l'étoile est associée à Lisi, l'enfant de la déesse mère, mais dans la mythologie grecque, elle est liée à la planète Mars, en raison de sa couleur. La couleur rougeâtre est également à l'origine du nom chinois de l'étoile, "l'étoile de feu". Nous savons que cette couleur est due à sa température relativement froide. En partant d'Antarès vers la droite de l'image, nous trouvons les parties les plus septentrionales du ciel. L'étoile brillante en bas à droite de l'image, près de l'horizon, est Arcturus, située dans la constellation moderne de la Boite à Bijoux. Alors qu'Antarès et ses environs sont considérés comme le cœur du dragon d'azur, Arcturus et Spica (sous l'horizon) sont deux astérismes mono-étoiles qui forment son énorme corne. En pointant vers elle depuis le haut, au bord droit de l'horizon de l'image, on peut voir l'anse de la Grande Ourse, ou chariot, qui fait partie de la constellation de la Grande Ourse. Le point lumineux à droite de la galaxie et juste au-dessus du centre de l'image est Véga, située dans la constellation moderne de la Lyre. En prolongeant une ligne de l'autre côté de la galaxie et un peu plus bas sur l'image, nous trouvons Altaïr, dans la constellation de l'Aigle. De ce point, nous prolongeons une autre ligne jusqu'à Deneb, l'étoile la plus brillante de la constellation du Cygne, également un peu plus haut sur cette image et complètement noyée par la Voie Lactée. Ces trois étoiles brillantes constituent l'astérisme connu sous le nom de Triangle d'été dans l'hémisphère nord.
Credit: Ohnishi Kouji/UAI OAE

Caption: Winner in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Still images of celestial patterns.   This image, taken in Slovakia in January 2022, shows regions of the Milky Way and a rich variety of constellations. The summer constellations of the northern hemisphere are very low in the sky towards the bottom-right. The bright stars of Cygnus and Lyra shine through the artificial lights at the horizon. The huge array of northern winter and autumn constellations with many bright stars are associated with diverse cultural stories. For the Lakota people in North America the belt of the Orion constellation represents the spine of a bison (“Tayamnicankh”). Orion, the Hunter of Greek mythology, is sometimes described chasing the Seven Sisters, the Pleiades. The Arabs transformed this view by considering the follower of the Pleiades only one star instead of a constellation. Aldebaran, the star in the right eye of Taurus, the Bull, comes from this interpretation, because the name Aldebaran derives from al-dabaran, The Follower. At the bottom-right, on the horizon, we can see the milky lightcone of the Zodiacal light stretching from the constellation Pisces through Aries, almost reaching the Pleiades, indicating the path of the planets and the Moon in this area. The Pleiades and the Hyades together form a gate on this path, where the heavenly bodies occasionally pass before entering the Milky Way. The planets were considered sheep in ancient Babylon and the modern constellation Orion was considered the “True Shepherd” of the Sky, with his shepherd’s tool reaching the ecliptic. In Roman tradition, the bright white star above the Pleiades and the Milky Way is called Capella, the Goat, which can be traced back to an Egyptian constellation in this area. Above the treetop in the middle-right part of the image, we see the autumn square, the Andromeda Galaxy and the W-shaped pattern of Cassiopeia. To the left of this group, in the central part of the visible Milky Way, is the constellation Perseus, with Cepheus in the dark area above Cassiopeia completing the celestial family. The Andromeda saga is a Greek story from the area that is now called Israel, and is rooted in Syrian traditions. The location of Andromeda was considered by the ancient Babylonians as the location of the goddess of sexual love, and by the Syrians as the location of the goddess of fertility. According to the saga, Andromeda was chained to a rock at the coast of Jaffa (Tel Aviv) in order to protect her land from a sea monster. The name of the hero who rescued her is Perseus, probably meaning “from Persia” (today’s Iran). Noticeable in the valley are the lights from towns. The yellow light above the horizon indicates larger cities there, which are given away by their light pollution.
Credit: Robert Barsa/IAU OAE

Caption: Honourable mention in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Still images of celestial patterns.   Taken in May 2022 in Teide National Park in Tenerife, Spain, this image shows the arc of the Milky Way galaxy crossing the sky, accompanied by prominent constellations over the professional telescopes located on the mountains of that island. While the telescopes and the people working with them may  ignore the constellations, the photographer managed to catch the Milky Way in such a way that it almost matches the shape of the mountain. The bright star in the top-left side of the image is Vega, one of the brightest stars in the night sky and located in the small constellation Lyra. Being a white star, it is the standard star astrophysicists use to define the colour scale. As it is also a relatively close star, only about 25 light-years away, with a relatively simple name, it frequently appears in modern science fiction, for example in Carl Sagan’s famous novel “Contact”, which was filmed in 1997 with Jodie Foster starring as a radio astronomer. The bright star seen below the galaxy and on the left half of the image is Altair, also one of the brightest stars in the night sky and located in the constellation Aquila. Together with Deneb — a star in the constellation Cygnus (the Swan) that is not visible in this image — Altair and Vega form the Summer Triangle, a characteristic asterism of popular astronomy in the northern hemisphere, where these telescopes are located. On the right side of the image we can see the constellation Scorpius. This is easily identified by its brightest star, Antares, the reddish star in the Scorpion’s heart. Below it, the whole body and tail of the Scorpion can be found and above it the celestial Scorpion's head is represented by three bright bluish stars. Below the tail and above the horizon, the constellation of Ara, the Altar, is half-visible, but like all the stars of Sagittarius in the Milky Way and the much fainter ones in Hercules and Ophiuchus above it, these constellations are more difficult to pinpoint in this photograph full of stars. The head of Ophiuchus is the relatively bright star in the middle between Vega and Antares. In addition to the huge size of this constellation, it is also important because it is the thirteenth one of the Zodiac, and the Sun spends roughly three weeks in Ophiuchus, after only five days in Scorpius. Furthermore, Ophiuchus represents the model for the mythological best doctor in the world, called Asklepios in Greek mythology, and Aesculab in Latin. His constellation praises all people working in medical professions, including nurses, pharmacists and doctors.
Credit: Curd-Christian Tengeler/IAU OAE

Caption: Honourable mention in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Still images of celestial patterns:.   This image features the Milky Way, our home galaxy, over Oregon, USA, as seen in July 2021. It is obviously a composite because the stars are not reflected in the water. Still, it is nicely composed to suggest a similarity between the stream of water on Earth and the (mirrored) stream of stars in the sky. The Milky Way clearly dominates the sky in this image. As a prominent feature in the sky, the Milky Way has been associated with the religions and mythologies of many cultures. The best-known association from Greek folklore “explains” it as a stream of divine milk from the mighty mother goddess Hera, whose husband god Zeus frequently misbehaved (as he did in this case, causing this accident). Greek mythology, on the other hand, considered it to be the path of the souls, while ancient Greek science suggested several scientific explanations, all of which turned out to be false. The Ojibwe in North America, who live to the east of Oregon where this photograph was taken, also consider the Milky Way a Path for Spirits and a River of Souls. Looking at the foreground of the picture, this belief is even more understandable; it looks as if the rivers of Earth and heaven merge at the horizon. The prominent feature in the middle of the image is the dark region called the Pipe Nebula in the Milky Way. The smoke of this pipe goes to the right and ends almost at a treetop, where we find the orange star Antares in the heart of the Scorpion. In the middle of the image, below the Pipe, there is a huge dark area in the Milky Way with two prominent red spots. These spots are hydrogen clouds called the Cat’s Paw and the Lagoon, but in this image they look like the red eyes of great Manitou, the Great Spirit of the Iroquois Native Americans. The constellation of Sagittarius in this area is not recognisable because the image of the Milky Way is highly processed in order to display these dark features that are invisible to the naked eye.
Credit: Marcin Zajac/IAU OAE

Caption: Honourable mention in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Still images of celestial patterns: Equatorial Milky Way   Taken in Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, Java Island, Indonesia, in March 2016, this image captures regions of the southern Milky Way and, at its left edge, the two planets Mars and Saturn. Mars appears orange and is similar in colour to the star Antares, whose Greek name — anti Ares — references this. Saturn is a little bit fainter than Mars, but clearly visible among the stars of Ophiuchus, above the Pipe Nebula and forming an isosceles triangle with Mars and Antares. Mars is on the top and Saturn is vertically below. Visible to the naked eye, both planets have significance in many cultures around the world. In Roman mythology Mars is the god of war and fertility, and Saturn the god of sowing and agriculture. Its Greek equivalent, the god Kronos, is also considered the regent of completion. Indigenous Australians, including the Kamilaroi and Wailan people, associate Saturn with “wunygal”, a small bird. Mars is called Iherm-penh (something burnt in flames) by the Anmatyerre people of the Central Desert, while the Kokatha people of the Western Desert associate Mars and the star Anatres with the red-tailed black cockatoo (Kogolongo). In the middle of this photograph, the most famous southern constellations are clearly recognisable: the Southern Cross (Crux), the pointer stars, Alpha and Beta Centauri, the dark Coalsack Nebula and the red Eta Carina Nebula, which is not visible to the unaided eye but is prominent in modern photographs. In the 19th century, the star eta Carinae had been the second-brightest star in the sky for some time, but since it varies irregularly, it has hardly been recognisable in recent decades, and its future visibility is unpredictable. Triangulum Australe is visible between the pointer stars and the Scorpion, and in the constellation of Centaurus, the bright globular star cluster Omega Centauri is clearly displayed. It was considered a “nebulous star” since antiquity and, thus, was listed in star catalogues for at least 2000 years. Only within the last century did astronomers discover that globular star clusters are in the halo of our galaxy and that this one consists of roughly 10 million stars. The dark regions in the Milky Way, which are cool, dense clouds of dust and gas, form the head and body of the Celestial Emu Tchingal. Together with the Southern Cross and the pointer stars, they appear in the Dreamtime stories of many Indigenous Australians. One story associated with the Djab Wurrung and the Jardwadjali people is part of a Dreamtime Story involving Tchingal, the Bram-bram-bult brothers (the pointer stars), their mother Druk (Delta Crux), and Bunya the hunter, who gets transformed into a possum (Gacrux, the red star at the top of the Southern Cross).
Credit: Giorgia Hofer/IAU OAE

Caption: Winner in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Still images of celestial patterns.   This image, which shows the majestic band of the Milky Way and a range of culturally significant patterns, was taken in May 2022 at a very high altitude from the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, from which one can see the clouds below. Some prominent star patterns include Scorpius, Sagittarius, Lyra, Cygnus, Aquila, the Summer Triangle asterism, and the Teapot asterism. As the Canary Islands used to be a starting point for European sailors to explore the world, we use this place to point to the many indigenous cultures they encountered. Most notably it is the dark patterns within the band of the Milky Way that hold significance for many Indigenous cultures around the world. The dark patterns are in fact dense, cool clouds of gas and dust that block the light from stars. Indigenous people see caves, waterways and various patterns associated with the dark regions of the Milky Way. The constellations and patterns hold different cultural significance and interpretations for different people. For example, the constellation Scorpius is referred to by Polynesian people as the demigod Maui’s Fishhook. The Yolnu people of Arnhem Land associate Scorpius with a crocodile called Ingalpir. Some Indigenous Australian groups associate stories with individual stars within Scorpius, most notably Antares, the orange-red star in the top right of the image above the band of the Milky Way. Next to the Scorpion and above the bright centre of the Milky Way, there is a prominent dark cloud that is called the Pipe Nebula by modern astrophotographers. The smoke of this pipe goes up to rho Ophiuchi. This and all the other dark clouds in the Milky Way together form the backbone of heaven for some tribes, and an animal with black-and-white skin for South African Zulu people. The nomenclature of bright stars also has cross-cultural roots. For example, Vega (the bright blue star towards the top of the image) comes from the Arabic waqi, from al-nasr al-waqi, the Eagle who throws himself down (in order to hunt). This contrasts with the Flying Eagle, Altair, also derived from Arabic. Antares is a Greek word meaning “the one similar to Mars”, referring to its colour. The star name Shaula in the stinger of the Scorpion is a modern version of the Babylonian or even Sumerian star name.
Credit: Amirreza Kamkar/IAU OAE

Caption: Winner in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Still images of celestial patterns.   Taken in April 2021 from the top of the Laojun Mountain in China, this image shows a panoramic view of the Milky Way over the Golden Hall called “Yuhuangding” as a symbol of wealth. In China, the Milky Way is considered a huge stream like one of the big rivers. It separates the Cowherd (Altair) and his beloved Weaving Girl (Vega) and it has a Celestial Ford in the northern dark cloud in the modern constellation Cygnus. The Milky Way appears as a whitish arch as we cannot distinguish all the individual stars, but instead see the accumulation of light from them. It is a disc-shaped galaxy and the Solar System is located within one of its spiral arms, so we see it from inside, which gives it the shape of a band in our sky. It is associated with the religions and mythologies of several cultures. The modern term Milky Way derives from Greek folklore as the milk spread in the sky by the mother goddess Hera, when she unwillingly breastfed young Heracles. This son of Zeus and a mortal woman was put next to her while she was asleep but from his strong sucking she woke up and realised she was feeding an unknown child, and immediately pushed the child away. Greek philosophers like Plato considered the glittering band in the sky to be the traces of a former path of the Sun. Alternatively, for the Tupi-Guarani indigenous mythology from South America, the Milky Way represents the “path of tapir”. For some Australian native peoples, its dark clouds formed the shape of an emu if high in the sky, and of crocodiles if low on the horizon. For many southern African, South American and Australian cultures, it was considered a pathway to or from heaven. At the right edge of the image, we can recognise the modern constellation Scorpius with its most prominent star, Antares, the reddish star just above the Milky Way. The brightest point seen in the centre bottom of the image is the rising Moon with Jupiter next to it. A few constellations can be distinguished in this image, including Corona Australis, a faint arc-shaped constellation located to the bottom right. Just above the Southern Crown, we can see the Teapot asterism as part of the Sagittarius constellation. Since Sagittarius lies next to the centre of the Milky Way, many structures such as star-forming regions, globular clusters and planetary nebulae can be found within its boundaries. In Sagittarius, we also find a supermassive black hole four million times as massive as our Sun. At the left side of the band, we can identify the bright star Deneb in the constellation Cygnus, The Swan, through which the Milky Way runs, meaning that a variety of star clusters are found in this constellation.
Credit: Likai Lin/IAU OAE

Caption: Gagnant du concours d'astrophotographie 2022 de l'AIU OAE, catégorie Images fixes de motifs célestes. La Voie lactée et plusieurs objets astronomiques sont visibles sur cette image prise depuis l'hémisphère sud, à Anglers Reach, en Australie, en avril 2022. En bas à gauche, on peut identifier la constellation du Scorpion avec son étoile la plus brillante, Antarès, la tache rougeâtre juste au-dessus de l'arc. Quelques constellations australes importantes mais de petite taille sont également visibles : les étoiles brillantes dominantes au milieu gauche de l'image dans la Voie lactée sont les quatre étoiles brillantes de Crux (la Croix du Sud) et, à sa gauche, les deux étoiles-pointeurs, alpha et bêta Centauri. Crux pointe vers le pôle céleste sud, qui n'est pas marqué par une étoile brillante, et les étoiles indicatrices pointent vers Crux, ce qui la distingue de l'astérisme de la Fausse Croix dans la constellation d'Argo. Crux figure sur les drapeaux nationaux de l'Australie, du Brésil, de la Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée, de Samoa et de la Nouvelle-Zélande. Comme Crux se trouve dans les parties les plus lumineuses de la Voie lactée, le nuage sombre de la célèbre nébuleuse du Coalsack est proéminent à côté des étoiles brillantes. Elle constitue l'une des constellations sombres dans les cultures indigènes d'Amérique du Sud, d'Afrique du Sud et d'Australie. L'énorme constellation sombre australienne de l'émeu est presque entièrement au-dessus de l'horizon sur cette image, étirant sa tête depuis le Sac à Charbon jusqu'à l'horizon. Dans l'Antiquité grecque, les étoiles de Crux appartenaient également à la constellation du Centaure, une créature hybride avec un torse et une tête humains attachés à un corps de cheval à quatre pattes. Le centaure grec représente Chiron, le sage professeur de tous les héros grecs. Son étoile la plus brillante est Rigil Kentaurus (Alpha Centauri), le sabot avant du centaure. Juste en dessous, on trouve la petite constellation Triangulum Australe. Le système stellaire triple d'Alpha du Centaure est le plus proche voisin stellaire de notre Soleil. Le long de la Voie lactée, au milieu à droite de l'image, se trouve l'immense constellation Argo, le navire. L'ancienne constellation Argo, plus petite, a été élargie par les navigateurs néerlandais vers 1600. Le nombre d'étoiles de cette constellation était alors si important que le mathématicien français du XVIIIe siècle, Lacaille, a dû introduire des sous-titres pour Argo dans son catalogue d'étoiles. C'est ainsi qu'il a inventé les constellations Puppis, Carina et Vela. Dans Carina, la quille du navire, cette photographie rougeâtre montre clairement la nébuleuse de Carina. Sur le bord droit de l'image, on peut apercevoir l'étoile la plus brillante du ciel nocturne, Sirius, tandis que la deuxième étoile la plus brillante, Canopus, le gouvernail d'Argo, le navire, domine la zone située sous l'arche de la Voie lactée. Sous l'arc de la Voie lactée, on peut également voir le Grand Nuage de Magellan et le Petit Nuage de Magellan, qui sont de petites galaxies satellites de notre propre galaxie.
Credit: Lucy Yunxi Hu/IAU OAU

Caption: Winner in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Still images of celestial patterns.   Taken near Lake Misurina in the Veneto region of Italy in February 2019, this image shows a clear and starry sky over a winter landscape. We can see part of the Milky Way arc. From the left side, towards the south-east, we see Sirius, "The Burner" in Greek, the brightest star in the night sky. It is part of the constellation Canis Major, The Great Dog, one of the dogs of Orion, the great hunter, in Greek mythology. Orion’s other dog, Canis Minor, the Small Dog, is represented by the bright star Procyon and its fainter neighbours. The Greek star name means “The One [rising] before The Dog” and the star is seen at the top left side of the image just above the arc of the Galaxy. Orion lies to the right of Canis Major. We can spot its characteristic “belt”, an asterism composed of three bright stars aligned in a straight line.  Above the treetops to the right of Orion, the open star clusters of the Hyades and the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus, the Bull, are visible. According to ancient lore, these two clusters form a Celestial Gate directly next to the intersection of the great circles of the ecliptic and the Milky Way. In Greco-Roman mythology, Taurus is associated with the god Zeus who is said to have used a bull to seduce the Phoenician princess Europa. Above the constellation Taurus, we can see a bright star just above the arc of the Galaxy. This is Capella, the brightest star of the constellation Auriga, The Charioteer. This is one of the 88 modern constellations and is associated with the Greek hero Erichthonius of Athens. Hindu astronomy considers Capella as the heart of Brahma, one of the three major gods. The indigenous people of Bororo in Brazil have a constellation representing a cayman, comprising some of the stars of Auriga and some stars from neighbouring constellations. To the right of Taurus, we find the modern constellation Perseus with the bright double star cluster h+chi Perseii, which represents the metal of Perseus’s sabre in Greek mythology. Perseus is the hero who was sent out to prove himself, and happened to rescue Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus as the Roman poet Ovid wrote. We can also see the constellation Cassiopeia, associated with the queen and mother of Andromeda in Greek mythology. It is composed of five bright stars in the shape of a W, which was considered the asterism of The Key by the Greeks according to the poet Aratus. The recognisable shape is also associated with other mythologies: for instance, it represents the princess Sharmishtha in Hindu astronomy, a bat in Thailand, and a camel in native Arabic astronomy. In the gap between the trees, the Andromeda Galaxy is visible.
Credit: Giorgia Hofer/IAU OAE

Caption: Winner in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Still images of celestial patterns.   This image shows the night sky over Tre Cime di Lavaredo, (Dolomites Natural Park), in the region of Veneto, Italy, in October 2021. The bright spot on the left-hand side is the planet Jupiter, appearing in the constellation Capricorn. To the right of Jupiter and below the two horn stars of Capricorn is the planet Saturn. Just above Jupiter we can see parts of Aquarius, one of the largest constellations and also part of the Zodiac. North of these constellations, left of the Milky Way, there are mostly faint stars. The brighter whitish one in the top left corner is Enif, a binary star in the constellation Pegasus. The Milky Way seems to emerge from a rock like celestial vapour. Roughly centred in the image are two bright stars left and right of the Milky Way: Altair and Vega, respectively. They seem to be separated by the galactic stream, as told in a popular Chinese folk story where they represent a loving couple. Today, in popular astronomy, the fairly bright star at the upper edge of the photograph is added to form a huge triangle with them, the Summer Triangle in the northern hemisphere. Altair is the brightest star of the Babylonian constellation Aquila, the Eagle. In ancient Babylon, it was said that the Eagle was carrying king Etana up in the air so that he could see Earth from above. Next to the Babylonian Eagle was the constellation of the Corpse, that returned only in Roman times when Ptolemy put it below the Eagle as the new sub-constellation “Antinous”. It is seen as the corpse (or soul) of the Roman emperor Hadrian’s favourite who had just died in the Nile. Vega is the bright white star to the right of the Milky Way. It forms part of the small constellation Lyra, famous for hosting the Ring Nebula, which is an impressive planetary nebula — a dying star blowing its gas into space. At the right edge of the image, three stars in a bent row appear rather prominently. This is the handle of the Big Dipper pointing downwards to a bright star close to the horizon: Arcturus, the bright star of the constellation Bootes (Greek: the Ploughman). This kite-like constellation is probably a pagan interpretation of the Babylonian god “Enlil” whose constellation also occupied that place in the sky. The Romans re-interpreted this figure as The Ox-Driver who controlled the Seven Oxen seen in the bright stars of Ursa Major. Directly right of Vega, there is the huge constellation Hercules and below it, directly to the left of Bootes, we find a half-circle of stars comprising the small constellation Corona Borealis, associated with Ariadne, daughter of King Minos of Crete in Greek culture. The lights seen in the bottom left side of the image are due to the reflection of artificial lights in the clouds.
Credit: Giorgia Hofer/IAU OAE

Caption: Winner in the 2022 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category Still images of celestial patterns.   Taken in the early hours of 24 April 2022, this image captures the sky of Yunnan Province, China, with a reflection on Lake Nian. The Milky Way is visible on the left side, while whitish Earth clouds are visible on the right. A Lyrid meteor crosses the sky along the Milky Way, its tail pointing back toward the shower's radiant in the constellation Lyra, which lies outside the image above the upper edge. The natural colours of the meteor are impressively clear. A few constellations are also visible. In the top left corner we can recognise the small constellation of the Dolphin, in which five brightest stars comprise the asterism. This asterism forms the head-part of the larger Greek constellation of the Dolphin and was considered the Dolphin since Roman times, when Ptolemy formed the new constellation of Equuleus in the southern part of the original figure. In mediaeval China, this asterism was considered the Good and the Rotten Gourd, the good one being formed by the brighter rhombus on the top and the rotten one made of faint stars in the tail of the Roman dolphin. The bright star to the right of the Dolphin and at the top of the image is Altair, the brightest star in the constellation Aquila. In Chinese uranology, Altair, together with some adjacent areas, forms the constellation of the Drum at the River. However, in Chinese folklore, the bright star stands for a boy in love with a girl, who is represented by the bright star Vega (in Lyra) on the other side of a huge celestial stream, the Milky Way. Vega is not visible in this image but the Lyrid meteor is like a teardrop of the unlucky girl who cannot reach her lover. In the upper right of the image, the constellation Scorpius shines with its bright reddish star Antares. With some of its neighbouring stars, it was regarded in China as the asterism of The Heart, which was also one of the Lunar Mansions. It was considered the heart of the Azure Dragon, the super-constellation of spring, in ancient China. Scorpius and Sagittarius, in the middle of the image, contain the brightest clouds of the Milky Way, the Galactic Centre, which also has clearly visible dark clouds in front of the bright ones. There is no classical Greco-Roman constellation between Aquila and Scorpius, but in the 17th century, two Polish astronomers, the couple Jan and Elizabeta Hevelius, named this area of bright clouds in the Milky Way Scutum, the Shield, in memory of a Polish king. In China, however, this area directly outside the super-constellation (or heavenly enclosure) of the Celestial Market Place was seen as depicting Market Officers.
Credit: Jianfeng Dai/IAU OAE

Caption: Cette photographie époustouflante a été prise le 17 juin 2023, près de Keetmanshoop, en Namibie, à l'aide d'un smartphone. Dominant le ciel nocturne, l'arc majestueux de la Voie Lactée crée un pont céleste à travers les cieux. L'image capture une série d'objets astronomiques remarquables : le Grand et le Petit Nuage de Magellan, vus vers le bas de l'image et apparaissant comme des nuages flous ; Antarès, vu vers le haut à gauche de l'image ; et la nébuleuse du sac de charbon désignée par divers noms par les cultures indigènes du monde entier), vue verticalement au-dessus du Grand Nuage de Magellan. Sur cette toile de fond astrale, les arbres, qui sont en fait des aloès succulents originaires d'Afrique australe, ajoutent une touche à la beauté unique de la Terre. Historiquement, ces plantes étaient appelées "arbres à carquois" parce que des groupes d'indigènes locaux utilisaient leurs branches creuses pour contenir des fléchettes. Le paysage serein de la Namibie, combiné à l'éclat des étoiles de l'hémisphère sud, offre un aperçu de la majesté de notre univers.
Credit: Jianfeng Dai/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)

Caption: The darkness of the skies at H.E.S.S Observatory reveal the seemingly innumerable stars that make up the Milky Way galaxy, making it challenging to discern the constellations as seen taken with a smartphone from Namibia in June 2023. The stars Alpha and Beta Centauri are visible bottom left of the image just about the tower. The orange-hued star visible just above and to the right of the left H.E.S.S telescope is Antares, a red-giant star that is part of the constellation Scorpius.
Credit: Jianfeng Dai/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)

Caption: On the tranquil shores of Lugu Lake, the serene night sky hosts a mesmerising celestial panorama that is reflected in the calm waters below. This snapshot, taken with a smartphone in March 2023 in Yunnan, China, offers a breathtaking view of the galaxy's grandeur, with the Milky Way stretching majestically across the sky. The Galaxy is an intricate tapestry of stars, dust, and celestial wonders that weave a story across the canvas of the night sky. This harmonious fusion of land and sky captures a moment of tranquillity amidst patient stargazing, enhanced by a fortunate break in the cloud cover that allowed this captivating scene to unfold.
Credit: Liu Yang/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)

Caption: In this tranquil image, taken in July 2022 in the darkness of Sicily’s Nebrodi Park, the grandeur of the Milky Way stretches above the natural megaliths of the Argimusco plateau, akin to a Sicilian Stonehenge. This celestial tapestry displays a multitude of astronomical sights: the constellations of Sagittarius (towards the bottom left of the image) and Scorpius (partly obscured by the megalith), the Lagoon Nebula (the pinkish region in the top left of the megalith), and the small Sagittarius Cloud (the fuzzy region in the top left of the Lagoon Nebula). Remarkably, the photo was taken with a smartphone, and serves as a testament to the wonders that lay hidden in the night, accessible to those who venture away from the glare of city lights into the serene embrace of unspoiled darkness.
Credit: Biagio Meli/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)

Caption: In May 2020, atop Mount Gongga in Sichuan, China, a lone observer stands amidst the cool night air at high altitude. Looking up, they witness the grand arc of the Milky Way stretching across the sky, captured using a smartphone set to panorama mode. This image was taken far away from the city lights at an elevation of 4200 metres, where the quiet of the mountains accentuate the connection between Earth and the vast cosmos. Jupiter, a bright planet, can be seen alongside the central bulge of the Milky Way, while a subtle green airglow on the horizon adds an intriguing touch to the scene.
Credit: Jianfeng Dai/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)

Caption: In this black and white snapshot taken in April 2022 with a smartphone, a solitary boat rests on the shores of Lake Eucumbene, Australia, framed by the brilliant display of stars comprising the Milky Way. The prominent glow of the galactic centre stands out against the night sky, its intricate patterns of stars and nebulae casting a striking contrast. Each shimmering dot represents a distant sun, possibly orbited by uncharted planets, underscoring the vastness and complexity of our sprawling home galaxy.
Credit: Lucy Yunxi Hu/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)