July 2016 - Picture of the Month
Looking towards the centre of the Milky Way
This image was provided courtesy of Robert Gendler, please click on it to see a larger version.
I've chosen another wide-field image for the Picture of the Month. This fantastic mosaic spans at least three constellations and is packed with deep-sky objects including open clusters, bright and dark nebulae and a globular cluster too. For us beginners, the Messier catalogue is well represented by, I think, 8 objects.
Most importantly this is the centre of our own galaxy and I find the view staggering. It's not easy to see from my northern latitude in the UK, and light pollution robs us of a great deal, but I find this image is mesmerising. What deep-sky observing is made of.
The image in this article doesn't to justice to Rob Gendler's work: it's just too small. Click on it to see a larger version, but better yet, visit Rob's website to learn more about the Galactic Center and view some really huge versions. There's one that's annotated too.
James Whinfrey - Website Administrator.
