仙女大星系与缆车站

2020 March 26

Andromeda Station
Composite Image Credit & Copyright: Ralf Rohner

Explanation: This surreal picture isn’t from a special effects sci-fi movie. It is a digital composite of frames of the real Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, rising over a real mountain. Exposures tracking the galaxy and background stars have been digitally combined with separate exposures of the foreground terrain. All background and foreground exposures were made back to back with the same camera and telephoto lens on the same night from the same location. In the “Deepscape” combination they produce a stunning image that reveals a range of brightness and color that your eye can’t quite see on its own. Still, it does look like you could ride a cable car up this mountain and get off at the station right next to Andromeda. But at 2.5 million light-years from Earth the big beautiful spiral galaxy really is a little out of reach as a destination. Don’t worry, though. Just wait 5 billion years and the Andromeda Galaxy will come to you. This Andromeda Station is better known as Weisshorn, the highest peak of the ski area in Arosa, Switzerland.

Tomorrow’s picture: a little drop of galaxy

仙女大星系与缆车站
组合影像提供与版权: Ralf Rohner

说明: 这幅具有超现实感的影像，并不是科幻电影的特效。它是数字合成多张照片的成果，而所有的背景和前景照片，都是由同一部相机在相同地点接连拍摄的。然后记录这个星系和背景恒星的照片，再数位叠合在另一张记录前方地景的照片上，以呈现仙女座星系（M31）从一座山头后头升起的景象。组合出的这幅景深影像，带着肉眼难以见到亮度和色泽范围。长话短说，这幅影像会让你觉得，如果你乘缆车上这座山头，当你到站下车后，仙女大星系就在你身旁。然而，这个庞大美丽的螺旋星系离地球有2百50万光年远，作为旅游地点还真的有点太远。等等，先别放弃！且耐着性子再等上50亿年，仙女座星系就会自己移到你面前。这座看似和仙女大星系相邻的缆车站，称为魏斯峰站，位在瑞士．阿罗萨滑雪区的最高峰上。

明日的图片: a little drop of galaxy