Query re image - AS&T

[erick (Eric)]

I've looked and looked and don't fully understand the image on page 21 of AS&T Mar/Apr 2008. It's a great photo, wonderfully conceptualized and executed, but, if it is meant to be the dark constellation, the "Emu", where is the head, namely the Coalsack. I just cannot make it out, nor see Crux. Would some kind soul point it out to me - I must be losing sight and mind in my old age!

STOP PRESS:- OK, a bit of googling and I have found the following:-

http://www.csiro.au/news/EurekaSciencePhotography.html

The image on page 21 is cropped - we have a headless emu! (Mind you, the small image in the csiro article appears to cut off the rock carving!)

Here we go - the full image is here:-

http://www.atnf.csiro.au/research/Ab...amples/emu.htm

Some explanation from Barnaby:-

“This was a difficult image to capture. The emu is so big in the sky that the picture had to be pieced together from 520 individual images...”

That is impressive!

[iceman (Mike)]

Wow, very impressive. that's a lot of work.

[Ric]

Great images thay you have found Eric, they certainly show up the Emu wonderfully.
I must admit that I was having trouble working it out as well.

Cheers

[MrB (Simon)]

Another shot of it(by A. Fujii) is much clearer and appeared in the book "The Australian Guide to Stragazing' by Gregg Thomson on page 73.
Will see if I can find it on the web somewhere.

Not the same image as the book, but they are pretty close:
http://www.davidmalin.com/fujii/source/af2-02_72.html
http://www.davidmalin.com/fujii/source/af2-04_72.html

I like how the center of the galaxy is in the Emu's belly.

[astroron (Ron)]

I realised that the head was missing.
I have pointed out the Emu about a thousand times to people in the last twenty years, so had no difficulty with the picture
Ron

[Gargoyle_Steve (Steve)]

Last year when I was out at the Barambah EEC site we were given an alterate perspective of the Emu. Mark does a lot of night sky education / story telling with the students there, and as well as the "standard" constellations he also explains some of the Aboriginal sky myths.

Go back and have a look at this image for a sec, especially the location and orientation of Crux..

http://www.atnf.csiro.au/research/Ab...amples/emu.htm

The story he relates (I think I have this right) is about 2 brothers who steal an egg from the Emu, and try to run away when she discovers their crime.

Crux lays side on in regards to the orientation of the dark "emu" shape, and in this fashion the trianglular "base" becomes a beak pointing to the "right" with the other stars defining the head and eye of the Emu.

What happened when she caught the 2 brothers? She swallowed them, you can still see them in her throat as Alpha and Beta Centauri.

Neat huh?

Cheers!

[Outbackmanyep]

Why 520 individual images??? Why not just use a wide angle lens???

[Peter Ward]

I suppose you just need the right tool for the job

I got the big bird in one shot (well, O.K. 3 really, RG&B ) a few years back

http://www.atscope.com.au/newsky/fisheyegx.jpg

Originally Posted by erick

“This was a difficult image to capture. The emu is so big in the sky that the picture had to be pieced together from 520 individual images...”

That is impressive!

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

I remember that one Peter - cracking shot!
Doug

[erick (Eric)]

Yes Peter, that's a great shot!