The centre of the galaxy area of the Milky Way toward Sagittarius and Scorpius, with the Sagittarius Starcloud right of centre, and the Lagoon Nebula (M8) left of centre. The Cat's Paw Nebula (NGC 6334) in Scorpius is at upper right, the Swan Nebula (M17) and Eagle Nebula (M16) are at lower left. To the right of them is the Small Sagittarius Starcloud (M24). At the very top is the Snake Nebula (B72). The main mass of dark nebula is the Pipe Nebula (B78). Above M24 at left is the open cluster M23 while below the M24 star cloud is the cluster M25. The globular M22 is at the bottom edge. At right of frame are the open clusters M6 (in the dark area of the Milky Way) and M7 (in the bright starcloud). I took this at about 3 am local time, Monday, March 31 from the Warrumbungles Motel grounds near Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia at the OzSky Star Safari 2014. This is a stack of 4 x 4 minute exposures at f/2.8 with the Sigma 50mm lens on the Canon 60Da at ISO 800. The camera was tracking the sky using the iOptron SkyTracker. I've oriented it horizontally as that's the way the camera was oriented to frame the area as it was rising in the east in the sky. However, from northern latitudes, this area would be framed vertically with the right side of the image in Scorpius (the area farthest south in the Milky Way) at bottom.
The Coal Sack and Jewel Box Cluster area on the east side of Crux, the Southern Cross. The Coal Sack, which to the eye looks like a large dark patch, under photography breaks up into small patches, the darkest just south of the Jewel Box Cluster, here just below and left of Becrux, or Beta Crucis. Other star clusters in the scene are NGC 4852 at top left, Trumpler 20 at right. and NGC 4609 at lower centre. The cluster at far right above Acrux is NGC 4349. The small intensely red area left of centre is the nebula Gum 46. The star at lower right is Acrux, Alpha Crucis. This is a stack of 5 x 8 minute exposures with the Borg 77mm astrographic apo refractor (330mm focal length) at f/4.3 and with the filter-modified Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 800. Taken from Coonabarabran, Australia, March 2014.
The Coal Sack and Jewel Box Cluster area on the east side of Crux, the Southern Cross. The Coal Sack, which to the eye looks like a large dark patch, under photography breaks up into small patches, the darkest just south of the Jewel Box Cluster, here just below and left of Becrux, or Beta Crucis. Other star clusters in the scene are NGC 4852 at top left, Trumpler 20 at right. and NGC 4609 at lower right. The small intensely red area is the nebula Gum 46. This is a stack of 5 x 8 minute exposures with the Borg 77mm astrographic apo refractor (330mm focal length) at f/4.3 and with the filter-modified Canon 5D Mark II at ISO 800. Taken from Coonabarabran, Australia, March 2014.
