The Pointer Stars (Alpha and Beta Centauri, at left) pointing to the stars of the Southern Cross, Crux, at right. The Coal Sack, obvious as a dark patch in the Milky Way to the naked eye, here looks less obvious as it breaks up into streaks and bands of dark dust to the left of the Cross. This is a stack of 5 x 2.5-minute exposures at f/2 with the 85mm Rokinon manual lens, and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 2000. Plus one exposure through a Kenko Softon A filter layered in to add the star glows.
Alpha Centauri, or Rigil Kentaurus, the brightest star in Centaurus and the nearest star system to the Sun. It is a pair of Sun-like stars 4 light years away. This is a superb double star but is not resolved here. The star cluster NGC 5617 appears to the right of Alpha. The area is also rich in dark nebulas. High haze added some natural star glows here — no filter was used. I shot this April 3, 2016 from the Tibuc Cottage, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia using the 77mm f/4 astrographic refractor and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII, for a stack of 4 x 5 minute exposures at ISO 1600.
The Rosette Nebula NGC 2237, at bottom, with open clsuter NGC 2244, and complex of nebulosity in Monoceros above, including Cone Nebula and Christmas Tree Cluster, and Monoceros dark nebula complex. This is a stack of 5 x 8 miniute exposures at f/2.8 and ISO 800 with Canon 5D MkII and Canon L-series 135mm lens.
