11公里高空的南天

2021年01月30日

Southern Sky from 38,000 Feet
Image Credit & Copyright: Ralf Rohner

Explanation: Celestial sights of the southern sky shine above a cloudy planet Earth in this gorgeous night sky view. The scene was captured from an airliner’s flight deck at 38,000 feet on a steady westbound ride to Lima, Peru. To produce the sharp airborne astrophotograph, the best of a series of short exposures were selected and digitally stacked. The broad band of the southern Milky Way begins at top left with the dark Coalsack Nebula and Southern Cross. Its expanse of diffuse starlight encompasses the the Carina Nebula and large Gum Nebula toward the right. Canopus, alpha star of Carina and second brightest star in Earth’s night is easy to spot below the Milky Way, as is the dwarf galaxy known as the Large Magellanic Cloud. The Small Magellanic cloud just peeks above the cloudy horizon. Of course, the South Celestial Pole also lies within the starry southern frame.

Tomorrow’s picture: rocks from space

11公里高空的南天
影像提供与版权: Ralf Rohner

说明: 在这片壮丽的夜景里，南天的天体在地球云层上方绽放光芒。记录这幅影像的平台，是一架往西飞往秘鲁利玛市，飞行高度约为11.6公里的航机。这幅清晰的航拍天文影像，则数位组合自一系列短曝光照片中最佳的一批。其中，宽阔的南天银河，从左上角的煤袋星云及南十字附近横贯而过，而右方可见到沉浸在银河弥漫星光里的船底大星云和甘姆星云。在银河的下方，还可轻易认出船底座最明亮的、地球夜空第二亮的老人星，更下方还有分类为矮星系的大麦哲伦星系，以及紧贴在地平面云层上缘的小麦哲伦星系。此外，南天极也在这片南天星野之内。

明日的图片: rocks from space