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Milky Way Arch over Lut Desert, Iran, by Amirreza Kamkar, Iran (Islamic Republic of)
image
Created for the OAE
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
Glossary Terms:
Milky Way , Dust Cloud
Categories:
Milky Way and Interstellar Medium
, Naked Eye Astronomy
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 2.85 MB)
Winter Milky Way
image
Created for the OAE
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
Glossary Terms:
Andromeda Galaxy , Milky Way , Taurus , Pleiades
Categories:
Galaxies
, Milky Way and Interstellar Medium
, Naked Eye Astronomy
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 1.18 MB)
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)
Milky Way Over Quiver Tree
image
Created for the OAE
Caption: Winner in the 2023 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category of Still images taken exclusively with smartphones/mobile devices.
This breathtaking photograph was captured on 17 June 2023, near Keetmanshoop, Namibia, with a smartphone. Dominating the night sky, the majestic arc of the Milky Way creates a celestial bridge across the heavens. The image captures a range of notable astronomical objects: the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, seen towards the bottom of the image and appearing as fuzzy clouds; Antares, seen towards the top left of the image; and the coalsack nebula (referred to by various names by Indigenous cultures around the world), seen vertically above the Large Magellanic Cloud. Silhouetted against this astral backdrop, the trees — which are actually succulent aloe plants native to southern Africa — add a touch of Earth's unique beauty. Historically, these plants were known as ‘quiver trees’ because groups of local Indigenous people would use their hollowed branches to hold darts. The serene Namibian landscape, combined with the brilliance of the southern hemisphere's stars, offers a glimpse into the majesty of our Universe.
Credit: Jianfeng Dai/IAU OAE (CC BY 4.0)
Glossary Terms:
Milky Way , Sky , Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) , Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC)
Categories:
Milky Way and Interstellar Medium
, 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 ( image 22.04 MB)
The Milky Way in the Smart World
image
Created for the OAE
Caption: Winner in the 2023 IAU OAE Astrophotography Contest, category of Still images taken exclusively with smartphones/mobile devices.
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)
Glossary Terms:
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 1.44 MB)
