Starship Asterisk*

Just to clear up something I am not being critical of the APOD, as I think both APOD images are superb. I did state that the new APOD is "terrific".

The greater contrast of Axel Mellinger's earlier panorama ([url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010202.html]APOD 2001 Feb 02[/url]) from photgraphic plates and Serge Brunier's panorama ([url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090926.html]APOD 2009 Sep 26[/url]), with their emphasis on the dark dust lanes along the central plane, give more of an impression of being outside the Milky Way looking in. Dr. Mellinger's latest panorama ([url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091125.html]APOD 2009 Nov 25[/url]), with the obvious dust clouds and star fields (the ambient glow) above and below the central plane, give more of an impression of being inside the edge of the galaxy looking towards the center (which of course is the reality). I think they are all great pictures, though they make me feel insignificant.

[quote="DavidLeodis"]It is a terrific image and must have taken a lot of patience by Dr Mellinger to stitch the over 3000 individual images together to produce the panorama. It therefore seems churlish of me to say that I prefer the image in the APOD of 2001 February 2 that was brought up through the "here" at the end of the explanation. :oops:[/quote]

The first picture is great for its contrast in brightness, illuminating certain parts of the sky and keeping the others really dark.

This current picture looks more three dimensional. It looks more like a great galaxy that we are a part of and some whimsy dust in front of it. I can see this easier than in the first image.

I enjoy them both for their striking visual effects.

It is a terrific image and must have taken a lot of patience by Dr Mellinger to stitch the over 3000 individual images together to produce the panorama. It therefore seems churlish of me to say that I prefer the image in the APOD of 2001 February 2 that was brought up through the "here" at the end of the explanation. :oops:

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091125.html
Pretty neat picture of the Milky Way! I can see about 4 or 5 other galaxies in it also. The LMC and SMC show up pretty nicely in it too. :)

Orin

ESO and Serge Brunier may have stolen Axel Mellinger's thunder with the publishing of [url=http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090926.html]GigaGalaxy Zoom[/url], but this panorama is supposed to be a more accurate depiction of what the Milky Way would look like from a position away from the light pollution and atmospheric distortion of Earth. Dr. Mellinger explained his method in a [url=http://www.phy.cmich.edu/people/mellinger/research/Publications/2009/2009__PASP__Mellinger__A_Color_All-Sky_Panorama.pdf]paper[/url] and while I didn't try to understand all of the math, the reasoning behind it seemed sound. I have yet been able to get the [url=http://galaxy.phy.cmich.edu/~axel/mwpan2/]zoom[/url] to work. I think it may be a size issue.

[quote="HellCat"]Suggest: "Moreover, millions [color=#FF0000]OF[/color] individual stars are also visible,"[/quote]
... or (for pirates) Suggest: "Moreover, millions [color=#FF0000]ARRH[/color] individual stars [color=#FF0000]ARRH[/color] also visible," ... millions of parrots would agree.

---

I see a teapot, and I see the dark river. I hope we make it across that dark river okay. Anybody got a timetable?

Currently reads: "Moreover, millions are individual stars are also visible,"

Suggest: "Moreover, millions [color=#FF0000]OF[/color] individual stars are also visible,"

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091125.html