200818 - Milky Way Nucleus (south) w Saturn and Jupiter over Lake Palestine
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click image to enlarge
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ASTRO:
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 EQUIPMENT: camera=Nikon D90 (stk) optics=NIKKOR 10.5mm "fisheye" filter=IRIX Edge LPS mount=SkyWatcher Star Adventurer Pro EQ guiding=(none) SOFTWARE: acquisition=(in-camera) processing=DSS, PhotoshopCC |
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The curved horizon in this image is caused by the effect of using a "fish-eye" camera lens that has an extremely short (10.5mm) focal length.
In the summer of 2020, this perspective of the Milky Way galaxy came into view. Note the planets Jupiter and Saturn are both located to the left of the nucleus of the Milky Way. Carefully comparing this image to, "190902 - Milky Way Nucleus (south) w Saturn and Jupiter" which was captured appx one (1) year earlier, 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. See the image, "201221 - Great Conjunction 2020" for a view of that event.
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 - appx 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 appx 10x the distance between us and our Sun.
The constellations Sagittarius, Scorpio, Ophiuchus and Serpens-Cauda are all visible. The Sagittarius star cloud is also prominent. This cloud is actually a 'window' through the dust & gas clouds of the galaxy revealing a small part of the Milky Way that is located much further away, beyond the nucleus.
In the summer of 2020, this perspective of the Milky Way galaxy came into view. Note the planets Jupiter and Saturn are both located to the left of the nucleus of the Milky Way. Carefully comparing this image to, "190902 - Milky Way Nucleus (south) w Saturn and Jupiter" which was captured appx one (1) year earlier, 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. See the image, "201221 - Great Conjunction 2020" for a view of that event.
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 - appx 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 appx 10x the distance between us and our Sun.
The constellations Sagittarius, Scorpio, Ophiuchus and Serpens-Cauda are all visible. The Sagittarius star cloud is also prominent. This cloud is actually a 'window' through the dust & gas clouds of the galaxy revealing a small part of the Milky Way that is located much further away, beyond the nucleus.