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The Large Magellanic Cloud in Dorado
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is one of the closest galaxies to our own Milky Way, at just 180,000 light years away. It's also closer than its companion galaxy, The Small Magellanic Cloud (which I've also imaged; refer to gallery).
The Large Magellanic Cloud is an irregularly shaped galaxy with no apparent central core. The explanation for the lack of core is due possibly to the gravitational attraction of the Milky Way, which is ten times the size of the LMC.
The LMC spans several degrees across the sky and is easily seen by observers in the Southern Hemisphere with the naked eye. Incidentally, it was unknown to Europeans until the voyage of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, in 1519.
The LMC appears as a massive diffuse cloud and contains an amazing assortment of intricate celestial objects. There is a multitude of objects present including nebulae, galaxies, open clusters, planetary nebulae, dust clouds and a giant region of hydrogen gas.
In 1987, supernova 1987A exploded in the LMC, making it the nearest supernova in over 400 years.
The most prominent object in the LMC is the Tarantula Nebula (which I've also imaged; refer to gallery). The Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) is a large diffuse nebula.
This region of the sky is a marvel to observe with both binoculars and telescopes alike; one can easily get lost in the veritable cornucopia of celestial treasures.
This image started life out like this single frame. 32 of those combined give the result I've presented.
North is up.
This composite consists of one set of images; one set of 32 images taken at ISO-400.
Each individual image was a 240 second exposure.
IRIS was used to calibrate each image (dark subtraction [median combined master dark] and flat field division [median combined master flat {lights and darks}]), to register, align, and finally stack.
Photoshop CS2 was used to adjust levels, curves, saturation, frame and resize the final composite.
Target: The Large Magellanic Cloud in Dorado
Date: Sunday, November 19th, 2006
Time: First image: 11:10 PM
Time: Last image: 1:52 AM
Location: Lake Bathurst, NSW, Australia
Camera: Canon EOS-350D (modified: Baader UV/IR filter)
Lens: Nikkor 300mm ED F/4.5
Focal length: 300mm
Mount: Meade LXD55
Exposure: 32 x 240 seconds (2 hours 8 minutes) @ ISO-400 (RAW)
Software: IRIS: Calibration, registration, stacking; Adobe Photoshop CS2: post-processing and framing
The Large Magellanic Cloud in Dorado
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is one of the closest galaxies to our own Milky Way, at just 180,000 light years away. It's also closer than its companion galaxy, The Small Magellanic Cloud (which I've also imaged; refer to gallery).
The Large Magellanic Cloud is an irregularly shaped galaxy with no apparent central core. The explanation for the lack of core is due possibly to the gravitational attraction of the Milky Way, which is ten times the size of the LMC.
The LMC spans several degrees across the sky and is easily seen by observers in the Southern Hemisphere with the naked eye. Incidentally, it was unknown to Europeans until the voyage of Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, in 1519.
The LMC appears as a massive diffuse cloud and contains an amazing assortment of intricate celestial objects. There is a multitude of objects present including nebulae, galaxies, open clusters, planetary nebulae, dust clouds and a giant region of hydrogen gas.
In 1987, supernova 1987A exploded in the LMC, making it the nearest supernova in over 400 years.
The most prominent object in the LMC is the Tarantula Nebula (which I've also imaged; refer to gallery). The Tarantula Nebula (NGC 2070) is a large diffuse nebula.
This region of the sky is a marvel to observe with both binoculars and telescopes alike; one can easily get lost in the veritable cornucopia of celestial treasures.
This image started life out like this single frame. 32 of those combined give the result I've presented.
North is up.
This composite consists of one set of images; one set of 32 images taken at ISO-400.
Each individual image was a 240 second exposure.
IRIS was used to calibrate each image (dark subtraction [median combined master dark] and flat field division [median combined master flat {lights and darks}]), to register, align, and finally stack.
Photoshop CS2 was used to adjust levels, curves, saturation, frame and resize the final composite.
Target: The Large Magellanic Cloud in Dorado
Date: Sunday, November 19th, 2006
Time: First image: 11:10 PM
Time: Last image: 1:52 AM
Location: Lake Bathurst, NSW, Australia
Camera: Canon EOS-350D (modified: Baader UV/IR filter)
Lens: Nikkor 300mm ED F/4.5
Focal length: 300mm
Mount: Meade LXD55
Exposure: 32 x 240 seconds (2 hours 8 minutes) @ ISO-400 (RAW)
Software: IRIS: Calibration, registration, stacking; Adobe Photoshop CS2: post-processing and framing
Image size
1280x853px 1.13 MB
© 2006 - 2024 octane2
Comments50
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Awesome.I love it