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Milky Way Stargazer
image
Created for the OAE
Caption: Honorable mention in the 2023 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category of Still images taken exclusively with smartphones/mobile devices.
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)
Glossary Terms:
Jupiter , Milky Way
Tags:
astrophotography
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons
This file on Zenodo ( image 46.78 MB)
Southern Sky Over La Silla
video
Created for the OAE
Caption: First place winner in the 2023 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category of Time-lapses of rotation of Big Dipper or Southern Cross.
This video shows the Milky Way’s sprawling brilliance across the celestial expanse. Among the stars’ grand theatre, the Southern Cross constellation claims its place in the scene, distinguished by its distinctive cross shape as seen in the top of this video and slightly to the right just over the Milky Way, slowly disappearing as the video progresses. This celestial marker, a prominent feature in the southern hemisphere, holds cultural and navigational significance, having served as a navigational guidepost for centuries. Accompanying the Milky Way’s grandeur are the two Magellanic clouds, celestial companions seen dancing in the distant sky. The Carina Nebula adds its ethereal glow to the cosmic panorama, painting a radiant hue against the darkness. In the midst of this celestial ballet, a gentle green hue envelops the atmosphere, a phenomenon known as airglow, adding a touch of subtle luminescence to the night sky. The terrestrial also makes an appearance, with planes flying overhead and vehicles driving between observatory buildings. This time-lapse, taken from the La Silla Observatory in Chile, is a window to the captivating dance of stars, offering a glimpse into the awe-inspiring beauty of our galaxy and the celestial landmarks that grace the southern sky.
Credit: José Rodrigues/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)
Glossary Terms:
Celestial Pole , Celestial Sphere , Earth's Rotation , Observation , Sky , Southern Cross
Categories:
Naked Eye Astronomy
Tags:
astrophotography
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) icons
This file on Zenodo ( video 1.07 GB)
Spiral Galaxy UGC 2885
image
Caption: This image shows UGC 2885, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Perseus, about 230 million light-years from Earth. Spiral galaxies have rotating disks of stars, gas, and dust, with spiral arms extending outward from the central region. In UGC 2885, these arms are very broad and faint, revealing the galaxy’s large size. This galaxy is tilted at an angle to the observer on Earth, meaning it does not appear as the circular "grand design" spiral it would look like if viewed face-on, nor as the thin line with a central bulge it would appear as if viewed edge-on.
UGC 2885 is remarkable because it is roughly twice the diameter of the Milky Way. It was studied by astronomer Vera Rubin, whose observations of how galaxies rotate — including systems like this one — played a key role in the search for dark matter.
The bright star which appears to the left of the galaxy's center is a foreground object not related to the galaxy.
Credit: NASA, ESA, Benne Holwerda (University of Louisville)
Credit Link
Glossary Terms:
Disk Galaxy , Spiral Galaxy
License: Public Domain Public Domain icons
File
( image
4.87 MB)
