Combination of 100, 5 second exposures, SBIG ST9XE CCD camera.
50mm f/2.0 Nikkon lens.
Musca is a small constellation ajoining Crux Australis to the south. This location has always been a source of amusment to me. Musca means "The Fly", and the Southern Cross is considered by Australians to be a symbol of their country. So to have a fly situated alongside the national symbol of Australia has to me, always seemed singularly appropriate!
The appearence of the brighter stars is a somewhat lop-sided trapozid. In this image, the main stars are almost lost in the background Milky Way. Among the interesting objects in Musca are the globular clusters NGC 4833, and NGC 4372, and the unusual planetary nebula NGC 5189.
