Fisheye:
Milky Way - Before Dawn
This full-sky (circular fisheye lens) image shows the southern Milky Way just before dawn begins (oriented with North up) from northern Chile in mid-April. The diagram to the right identifies key features in the photograph.
The brightest part of Milky Way passing directly overhead (center) corresponds to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy and includes the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpius.
The section of the Milky Way running through lower right is only visible from the Southern Hemisphere. It includes the constellations of Centaurus, Crux (Southern Cross), and Carina.
The white glow extending down to the horizon on the left is the zodiacal light. It is caused by sunlight scattered by interplanetary dust in the plane of the ecliptic. The zodiacal light best seen from a dark location away from light pollution.
Around the horizon is the faint greenish glow of airglow, a faint emission from Earth's atmosphere.
Technical Details
- Object: Fisheye: Milky Way - Before Dawn
- Date/Time: 2018 Apr 15 at 09:24 UTC
- Location: Atacama Lodge, San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
- Mount: iOptron iEQ30 Pro GEM
- Lens: Sigma 8mm Circular Fisheye f/2.8
- Camera: Nikon D750
- Field of View: 180° x 180°
- Exposure: 1 x 240s, f/4, ISO 1600
- File Name: FishEye18-1012w.jpg
- Processing (Adobe Lightroom): White Balance, Curves, Noise Reduction
- Original Image Size: 4016 × 4016 pixels (16.0 MP); 13.4" x 13.4" @ 300 dpi
- Rights: Copyright 2018 by Fred Espenak. All Rights Reserved. See: Image Licensing.