If Scorpius looked this good to the unaided eye, humans might remember it better. Scorpius [ http://www.allthesk…] more typically appears as a few bright stars in a well known but rarely pointed out zodiacal [ http://en.wikipedia…] constellation [ http://www.fillingt…]. To get a spectacular image like this [ http://astrosurf.co…], though, one needs a good camera [ http://electronics.…], color filters [ http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Filter_(opt ics) ], and a digital image processor. To bring out detail, the above image [ http://astrosurf.co…] not only involved long duration exposures taken in several colors, but one exposure in a very specific red color [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] emitted by hydrogen [ http://periodic.lan…] that brings out great detail. The resulting image [ http://astrosurf.co…] shows many breathtaking features. Vertically across the image left is part of the plane [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] of our Milky Way Galaxy [ http://seds.org/mes…]. Visible there are vast clouds of bright stars and long filaments of dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Jutting out diagonally from the Milky Way [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] in the image center are dark dust bands known as the Dark River [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. This river connects to several bright stars on the right that are part of Scorpius' head and claws [ http://www.ianridpa…], and include the bright star Antares [ http://www.astro.ui…]. Above and right of Antares is an even brighter planet Jupiter. Numerous red emission nebulas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] and blue reflection nebulas [ http://en.wikipedia…] are visible throughout the image. Scorpius [ http://en.wikipedia…] appears prominently in southern skies after sunset during the middle of the year.
Explanation
If Scorpius looked this good to the unaided eye, humans might remember it better. Scorpius [ http://www.allthesk…] more typically appears as a few bright stars in a well known but rarely pointed out zodiacal [ http://en.wikipedia…] constellation [ http://www.fillingt…]. To get a spectacular image like this [ http://astrosurf.co…], though, one needs a good camera [ http://electronics.…], color filters [ http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/Filter_(opt ics) ], and a digital image processor. To bring out detail, the above image [ http://astrosurf.co…] not only involved long duration exposures taken in several colors, but one exposure in a very specific red color [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] emitted by hydrogen [ http://periodic.lan…] that brings out great detail. The resulting image [ http://astrosurf.co…] shows many breathtaking features. Vertically across the image left is part of the plane [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] of our Milky Way Galaxy [ http://seds.org/mes…]. Visible there are vast clouds of bright stars and long filaments of dark dust [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. Jutting out diagonally from the Milky Way [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] in the image center are dark dust bands known as the Dark River [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…]. This river connects to several bright stars on the right that are part of Scorpius' head and claws [ http://www.ianridpa…], and include the bright star Antares [ http://www.astro.ui…]. Above and right of Antares is an even brighter planet Jupiter. Numerous red emission nebulas [ http://antwrp.gsfc.…] and blue reflection nebulas [ http://en.wikipedia…] are visible throughout the image. Scorpius [ http://en.wikipedia…] appears prominently in southern skies after sunset during the middle of the year.
Explanation
Credit and Copyright:
Stéphane Guisard [ mailto: sgu POINT astro AT gmail.com ]
Credit_and_Copyright
Stéphane Guisard [ mailto: sgu POINT astro AT gmail.com ]
