Sagittarius


122 second exposure.
Modified Canon Digital Rebel DSLR camera. 18mm - 55mm Canon lens at f/5.6.

When observing the Milky Way in the direction of Sagittarius, we are looking towards the centre of our galaxy, and it is in this direction that the Milky Way is at its brightest. So bright in fact, that from a very dark location it is possible to se a faint shadow cast on a white surface! From the northern hemisphere, only a pale reflection of this glory can be percieved due to the low altitude on this region from there. To really appreciate this region in all its true glory, one needs to travel south of the equator where is may be seen virtually at the zenith during winter evenings. There are numerous deep-sky objects in this region.


278 second exposure.
Modified Canon Digital Rebel DSLR camera. 18mm - 55mm Canon lens at f/5.6.

Although observers naturally tend to concentrate on the part of Sagittarius that contains the Milky Way, there are numerous interesting objects in the dimmer reaches of the constellation, away from the Milky Way. One of these is the beautiful globular cluster M 55 visible in the top image as a bright "star" to the left of centre.