Southern Cross and the Coalsack Dark Nebula, Cory Schmitz

Southern Cross and the Coalsack Dark Nebula

Southern Cross and the Coalsack Dark Nebula, Cory Schmitz

Southern Cross and the Coalsack Dark Nebula

Equipment

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Acquisition details

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Description

The Coalsack dark nebula in Crux is an apparently massive and dense complex of dust and gas visible only in the Southern Hemisphere. It's a mind-blowing sight to see in dark skies, and appears as a gaping hole in the Milky Way, bordered closely by the beautiful constellation of Crux, or the Southern Cross.

Captured on a recent astrophotography trip 2014-03-30 in the Karoo Desert of South Africa, near the small town of Sutherland.

Image details:

14x5min ISO800

Canon 5D Mark II, unmodified

Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens (at f/3.2 135mm)

Celestron CG5-ASGT, unguided

Calibrated with dark, flat, and bias frames

Software:

Data acquired with BackyardEOS

Calibrated, aligned, and integrated with PIxInsight

Post-processed with PixInsight and Lightroom

Comments

Histogram

Southern Cross and the Coalsack Dark Nebula, Cory Schmitz