190902 - Milky Way Nucleus (south) w Saturn and Jupiter over Lake Palestine
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click image to enlarge
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ASTRO (Milky Way):
type=Barred Spiral galaxy, const=Sagittarius-Scorpio (nucleus), mag=-20.9 (integrated), dist=27k ly, size=185k ly IMAGE: location=Emerald Bay Point, BrtlCls=4, moon=16% WxCr, exposure=DSLR OSC: 20x60s (20m), ISO800, f/3.5 OTHER: Composite image to blend-in foreground without stacking; 1x60s, ISO800 EQUIPMENT: camera=Nikon D90 (stk); optics=NIKKOR 18-105mm DX kit zoom @ 18mm; filter=IRIX LPS; mount=SkyWatcher Star Adventurer Pro EQ; guiding=(none) SOFTWARE: acquisition=(in-camera) processing=DSS, PhotoshopCC |
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In the summer of 2019, this perspective of the Milky Way galaxy came into view. Note the planets Jupiter (to the right) and Saturn (to the left) almost perfectly straddle the nucleus of our home Milky Way. Carefully comparing this image to, "200818 - Milky Way Nucleus (south) w Saturn and Jupiter" which was captured appx one (1) year later, reveals the movement of the two (2) "super gas giants" in our solar system. Because Jupiter's orbit is 'inside' that of Saturn, it (Jupiter) is "catching-up" to Saturn on its way toward conjunction (close encounter to each other - as viewed from our perspective here on Earth) in late 2020.
Jupiter's orbit around our Sun takes appx 12 years to complete. Each year during a positional event called "opposition" (when we here on Earth are positioned exactly between it and the sun), it is appx 450 M miles distant - or about 5x the distance between Earth and our Sun - and it (Jupiter) achieves its largest (closest) viewing profile.
Saturn's orbit takes much longer at appx 29.5 years; and, it is appx 900 M miles away at opposition. In comparison, our distance from the Sun averages appx 94 M miles; making Saturn's opposition distance about 10x the distance between us and our Sun.
The constellations Sagittarius, Scorpio, Ophiuchus (partial) and Serpens-Cauda are all visible in this image. Close inspection of the Milky Way reveals the Lagoon, Trifid, Omega and Eagle nebulae. The Sagittarius star cloud is also very prominent. Located a couple of arc-degrees above the Lagoon Nebula, this cloud is actually a 'window' through the dust & gas clouds of the galaxy revealing a small part of the Milky Way located much further away, beyond the nucleus.
Jupiter's orbit around our Sun takes appx 12 years to complete. Each year during a positional event called "opposition" (when we here on Earth are positioned exactly between it and the sun), it is appx 450 M miles distant - or about 5x the distance between Earth and our Sun - and it (Jupiter) achieves its largest (closest) viewing profile.
Saturn's orbit takes much longer at appx 29.5 years; and, it is appx 900 M miles away at opposition. In comparison, our distance from the Sun averages appx 94 M miles; making Saturn's opposition distance about 10x the distance between us and our Sun.
The constellations Sagittarius, Scorpio, Ophiuchus (partial) and Serpens-Cauda are all visible in this image. Close inspection of the Milky Way reveals the Lagoon, Trifid, Omega and Eagle nebulae. The Sagittarius star cloud is also very prominent. Located a couple of arc-degrees above the Lagoon Nebula, this cloud is actually a 'window' through the dust & gas clouds of the galaxy revealing a small part of the Milky Way located much further away, beyond the nucleus.