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Nightscapes and Milky Way
Milky Way Arch Over Grand Mesa Observatory 7/15/2023
This panoramic image taken on the same night but a bit earlier in the evening than the 360 spherical image I took at Grand Mesa Observatory shows the arch of the Milky Way over the observatory grounds with a particularly nice display of airglow.
As I stated in the description of the 360 image the night this was taken was particularly windy and bad for telescope observation/imaging however I think it was the reason for the nice air glow display that could be seen with the naked eye although not this colorful or detailed. In the foreground the roll off roof of Grand Mesa Observatory is on the bottom right which houses 6 telescope systems some used for research and others whose primary function is to collect data for subscribers of Grand Mesa Observatory. A bit up and to the center is the Science Dome used for exoplanet confirmations and then the house in the background is the Observatory Director’s residence as well as accommodations for traveling workers like me or other visitors to the observatory.
In the Milky Way arch starting from the lower right, the Rho Ophiuchi nebula complex is seen in hues of yellow, blue and red. Then moving into the center band of the Milky Way still in the lower right are several bright red nebulae such as the Lagoon Nebula M8, Trifid Nebula M20, then further up and to the left is the Eagle Nebula M16 and Omega Nebula M17. Below the Milky Way arch and visible in other areas of the image is the reddish/green/magenta airglow that shows up as ripples in the sky. From the center of the Milky Way arch and to the left you’ll find the red areas of nebulosity in the constellation Cygnus, most prominently is the North American Nebula NGC 7000. Further to the left still is the circular in appearance IC1396 which contains the Elephant’s Trunk Nebula.
Technical Info:
Location: Grand Mesa Observatory, Purdy Mesa, CO
http://www.grandmesaobservatory.com
Date: 7/16/2023
~68 frame panorama 13 sec @6400 ISO
Camera: Canon 6D Hutech UV/IR Mod
Lens: Canon EF 35mm f/1.2L II USM
Reveal Focus Filter by David Lane
Processing: Photoshop CC, PTGui
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