Looking at the Centre of Our Galaxy

 Download Full Resolution (1920x1272) 1421KB 8,053

Looking at the Centre of Our Galaxy

[Public Domain] 21 Oct 2014 Dylan O'Donnell
CATEGORY : Astrophotography
8,054 others viewed this post.

Earth swings around a star, and that star is in one of the outer spiral arms of our galaxy – the milky way. When we see the light band across the night sky, we are looking “side on” at the rest of the galaxy. The brightest part, pictured here, is the view towards the middle of the spiral.

Paradoxically though, the stars seem to dim in the middle. This is party because of the dust lanes that obscure the view, and partly because at the dead centre of our galaxy is a supermassive black hole that is eating worlds – stealing their light, captured away from view in the galactic core.

(Nikon D5100, 30s / f2.8 / ISO 1600 / Tokina 11mm)

 Download Full Resolution (1920x1272) 1421KB