Image 36 of 41
The Carina Nebula and Clusters
Carina Nebula and Clusters (RF135 Ra).jpg
This frames the rich field in Carina and Centaurus containing some of the finest nebulas and star clusters in the sky, and is one of the brightest regions of the Milky Way, certainly the southernmost.
The main feature is the large Carina Nebula, aka the Eta Carinae Nebula or NGC 3372. It is surrounded by three of the sky's finest open star clusters: IC 2602 or the Southern Pleiades below; NGC 3532 or the Football Cluster to the upper left; and nameless NGC 3114 to the right.
At lower left is the Running Chicken Nebula, IC 2944, with the Pearl Cluster, NGC 3766, above it.
Between the Chicken and the Carina Nebulas is the smaller pairing of nebulas, red NGC 3603 and pinker NGC 3576. At upper right is the tiny pale arc of the Southern Crescent Nebula, NGC 3199, the product of hot winds from a Wolf-Rayet star. The small red NGC 3247 nebula is between the Crescent and the upper reaches of the Carina Nebula, catalogued separately as NGC 3324.
The field of view is 15º by 10º.
This is a stack of 12 x 2 minute exposures with the Canon RF135mm lens at f/2 on the red-sensitive Canon Ra at ISO 800, tracked but not guided on the Astro-Physics AP400 mount. The lens had an URTH 82mm Night broadband filter on it.
Taken on a night devoted to shooting 135mm fields along the Milky Way, in March 2024 from the Warrumbungles Mountain Motel near Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia.
The main feature is the large Carina Nebula, aka the Eta Carinae Nebula or NGC 3372. It is surrounded by three of the sky's finest open star clusters: IC 2602 or the Southern Pleiades below; NGC 3532 or the Football Cluster to the upper left; and nameless NGC 3114 to the right.
At lower left is the Running Chicken Nebula, IC 2944, with the Pearl Cluster, NGC 3766, above it.
Between the Chicken and the Carina Nebulas is the smaller pairing of nebulas, red NGC 3603 and pinker NGC 3576. At upper right is the tiny pale arc of the Southern Crescent Nebula, NGC 3199, the product of hot winds from a Wolf-Rayet star. The small red NGC 3247 nebula is between the Crescent and the upper reaches of the Carina Nebula, catalogued separately as NGC 3324.
The field of view is 15º by 10º.
This is a stack of 12 x 2 minute exposures with the Canon RF135mm lens at f/2 on the red-sensitive Canon Ra at ISO 800, tracked but not guided on the Astro-Physics AP400 mount. The lens had an URTH 82mm Night broadband filter on it.
Taken on a night devoted to shooting 135mm fields along the Milky Way, in March 2024 from the Warrumbungles Mountain Motel near Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia.
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- © Alan Dyer/AmazingSky.com
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