APOD: The Complete Galactic Plane: Up and Down (2018 Mar 13)

[APOD Robot]

The Complete Galactic Plane: Up and Down

Explanation: Is it possible to capture the entire plane of our galaxy in a single image? Yes, but not in one exposure -- and it took some planning to do it in two. The top part of the featured image is the night sky above Lebanon, north of the equator, taken in 2017 June. The image was taken at a time when the central band of the Milky Way Galaxy passed directly overhead. The bottom half was similarly captured six months later in latitude-opposite Chile, south of Earth's equator. Each image therefore captured the night sky in exactly the opposite direction of the other, when fully half the Galactic plane was visible. The southern half was then inverted -- car and all -- and digitally appended to the top half to show the entire central band of our Galaxy, as a circle, in a single image. Many stars and nebulas are visible, with the Large Magellanic Cloud being particularly notable inside the lower half of the complete galactic circle.

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[rodentooth]

Hello!

I have a question: Is the Right side of the picture the center of our galaxy? I see it's getting brighter towards the middle of the right side and fades on the left side. Could that be true?

[Ironwood]

What an amazing picture. I never realized how close I am to being able to see the LMC. From my location around 32 latitude, Canopus just peeks above the southern horizon in winter evenings.When I saw what must be Barnard's Loop in the bottom half, I zoomed and saw that was indeed Orion, then I saw Sirius, then due South of them the bright star must be Canopus and just a few degrees South of Canopus is the Large Magellanic Cloud! That is a bucket list item of mine to see the LMC from a dark site. I understand it covers an area the size of several hundred full moons. I bet it is beautiful overhead.

In addition, I fancied I could even see the little speck of a notch south of Alnitak for the Horsehead Nebula? Maybe younger eyes than mine could confirm?

[Ironwood]

To answer rodentooth, yes, the center of our galaxy is on the right of the picture at the horizon . Sagittarius must also be there, but I was unable to find the teapot asterism.

[Boomer12k]

Interesting way of depicting it....

:---[===] *

[loujudd]

I am sure it is Northern Hemishpere chauvinism on my part, but I'd say the image is upside down - and not just the vehicle! To me North is always up, and down is South. I "know" this because as a child, we went North to go on vacation, and it was uphil and took a long time, and coming home was going South and downhill, and went by way too fast.

But if I'd been gazing "up" at the galaxy like this, it might have been a vacation all year long! Great image, and I am not suggesting it be inverted, but why put the South at the top?

[edgardine]

rodentooth, the center of the Galaxy seems hidden by the mountains on the right. The bright spot under the mountains to the right is probably omega centauri.
Maybe the anticenter is visible on the left, under the mountains, because orion seems quite low.
The mountains are almost at the place of the supergalactic plane

loujudd, what is up on the image is what we mostly see in the northern hemisphere (we don't see the magellanic clouds, the carina nebula (or even the omega centauri in my case))

[jmgiannne]

That fifth sentence is a dooozy!

[neufer]

A view of the Milky Way toward the constellation Sagittarius (including the Galactic Center) as seen from an area not polluted by light (the Black Rock Desert, Nevada). The bright object on the right is Jupiter, just above Antares.

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Is the Right side of the picture the center of our galaxy? I see it's getting brighter towards the middle of the right side and fades on the left side. Could that be true?

To answer rodentooth, yes, the center of our galaxy is on the right of the picture at the horizon . Sagittarius must also be there, but I was unable to find the teapot asterism.

• In the picture to the right
  the teapot asterism is clearly visible
  with the "steam" rising from the teapot's spout
  being the bright center of the Milky Way.

• In today's APOD the same bright center of the Milky Way
  is seen over the hills on the right but only the
  handle of the teapot asterism is visible to its left.

[edgardine]

That fifth sentence is a dooozy!

Sorry, it was poorly expressed. The text in brackets is about objects in the lower part of the image that we dont see from the northern hemisphere.

(and I mentioned the omega centauri in the sentence about the center because it is the most recognizable object of this image near the center (for me), but indeed, the center should be just above the mountains)

[GoshOGeeOGolly]

That car's powered by anti-Gravity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And 'they' said it couldn't be done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bird_Man]

I think this is a wonderful image. Took some amazing planning, not just to get the Milky Way as a complete circle, but also to get terrain that matched in both half way around the world.

[neufer]

---

I think this is a wonderful image.

Took some amazing planning, not just to get the Milky Way as a complete circle,
but also to get terrain that matched in both half way around the world.

Planes, terrains and automobiles.

[Guest]

This is stunning! Thank you, Mr Habib :clapping:

[Ann]

It's a remarkable picture, and as some folks have said, a lot of planning, traveling and investments must have gone into it!

Ann

[RJN]

Here is a subtitled YouTube video of the astrophotographer, Maroun Habib, being interviewed on Lebanese TV, mostly about this image!

Click to play embedded YouTube video.