The spectacular southern Milky Way arching over the OzSky 2016 star party near Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, in a roughly 240° panorama from southeast to northwest. The Milky Way extends from Canis Major just setting in the west (at far right), across the sky through Puppis and Vela (at upper right), through Carina, Crux and Centaurus (top), and down into Scorpius and Sagittarius rising in the east (at left), with the bulge of the galactic centre rising. The panorama takes in the complete extent of the southern hemisphere Milky Way. The Large Magellanic Cloud, the southern sky’s other great sight, is above the trees right of lower centre. The Southern Cross is at its highest due south at centre here. The huge bubble of the Gum Nebula in Vela is visible at right. Mars and Saturn are in Scorpius/Ophiuchus at left, with reddish Mars to the left of Antares. The telescopes and observers are with the annual OzSky star party held on this site in the austral autumn months, and organized by the Three Rivers Foundation in Australia. About 40 people attended this year, and attendance is limited. This is a stitch of 7 panels, each a 2.5-minute exposure at f/2.8 with the Rokinon 14mm lens mounted vertically and Canon 5D MkII at ISO 4000. The panels were spaced at 45° intervals. The camera was on the iOptron Sky Tracker so the sky is not trailed but the ground is, but minimally at this focal length. Stitched with PTGui using fish-eye projection.
A 180° panorama of the southern sky Milky Way, from Sagittarius and Scorpius rising at left (east), across the south in Centaurus, Crux and Carina at centre (south), to Canis Major setting at right (west). The Southern Cross is due south at its highest. Mars and Saturn are in Scorpius at left. The telescopes are with the OzSky star party near Coonabaraban, NSW, Australia, held on the grounds of the Warrumbungles Mountain Motel. I shot this April 4, 2016. This is a stitch of 5 panels, each 2.5 minutes at f/2.8 with the Rokinon 14mm lens in portrait orientation, and Canon 5D MkII on the iOptron Sky Tracker to track the stars. Stitched with PTGui.
A 360° panorama of the OzSky star party, April 4, 2016, at Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia, showing the arch of the southern Milky Way, from Sagittarius rising at left, to Canis Major setting at right. At top, the bright object is Jupiter, here in thin cloud, with the diffuse glow of the Gegenschein at upper centre opposite the Sun. Some clouds are moving in from the west. South is above the trailer; east to the left side, west to the right side with Jupiter almost due north at its highest here. The Southern Cross is at its highest due south. The Dark Emu stretches from the Cross down into Sagittarius. The Large Magellanic Cloud is just above the tree at lower right. This is a stitch of 8 panels, each with the 14mm Rokinon lens at f/2.8 and mounted vertical in portrait orientation. Each exposure was 2.5 minutes at ISO 3200 with the Canon 5D MkII, with the camera tracking the sky on the iOptron Sky Tracker. Stitched with PTGui software with spherical projection.
