What's this fuzzy spot

[namelockram (Mark)]

I was lucky enough to finally get out of the city to try some astrophotography last weekend, and I learnt a a valuable lesson: The infinity position on my lens is NOT at the end of travel!

Every photo I took looks fine in small format, but at full resolution things are blurry! Live & learn, and now I have a valid excuse to go camping again soon...

I have a question regarding something that showed up in a couple of my photos though. As per the attached image named 'what's that' there is a fuzzy area to the West of the milky way location. Can anyone tell me what this is please? I have tried finding other photos of the same feature on-line, but unless I know what it is called apparently no-one comments on it.

Any assistance greatly appreciated

[raymo]

The fuzzy is the LMC [Large Cloud of Magellan] an outlying galaxy.
Further right, out of shot, you will see the SMC [Small Cloud of Magellan],
a smaller galaxy. Both are very obvious with the naked eye if there is not
too much light pollution.
raymo

[traveller (Bo)]

Congratulations Mark, you captured the Large Magellanic Cloud!
Yes, the infinity position on your lens is not the infinity position
One trick I do is to focus in auto mode during the day time, then mark the position on the focusing ring and the lens itself (piece of paper with a dark pen mark, stuck down with clear sticky tape).
Then at night time, simply switch to manual focus, then line up the two marks and hold it down with a bit of blue tack to prevent the focusing ring moving and you are all set!
Good luck
Bo

[namelockram (Mark)]

Thanks for the info guys, I thought that it may have been the LMC, but wanted confirmation. Next time I am out taking photos in this location I will keep both the LMC & SMC in mind to get them in the frame too.

I have decided to go with a permanent mark on the lens so I know where actual infinity is - that way I can get it right without too much bother. Good idea on the blu-tack though, didn't think of that!

[luka]

Mark, I just point the camera at a brightest star in the sky and let the camera autofocus and then switch to manual focus and don't touch it any more. This may not work for all DSLR and lens combinations though.

[barx1963 (Malcolm)]

Well done Mark.
You should be able to see both the LMC and the SMC naked eye at most places outside big cities. I live in a town of 10,000 and have no issues any clear night. At a really dark site you can see them glowing through thin clouds.

Malcolm

[sil (Steve)]

Just to add another focusing hint to the mix. If you have Live View on your camera as you carefully adjust focus you can see stars on the limit for display pop ito view as you get the focus right.

Also due to the slack in camera lenses you may find marking an infinity point may not always give you focused shots, it depends which direction you focus from (did you turn focus ring clockwise or anti?) when I marked and use mine i start by turning fully to the infinity position on my lens (which is slightly out of focus) then turn it back the opposite way slowly to my true focus point. Might take a few iterations of testing and checking on computer the shots to get to where I was happy with the sweet spot for focus and then making my permanent mark at that point.

[Gnat (Natalie)]

The Magellanic Clouds http://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/M/Magellanic+Clouds


You also have Carina Nebula (red area in the centre of your picture) , The Emu (large dark shape stretching through your picture) and many other little fuzzies in there. You can get iPhone apps where you can point them in the part of the sky you are looking and it will overlay a star map. Or the old fashioned way - a good star atlas. I love this part of the sky. Enjoy.