The middle.....

[dugnsuz (Doug)]

Awe-inspiring!

[glenc (Glen)]

Robert Gendler's amazing image is on APOD today. http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap090519.html
The middle of the milky way is about one third of the way from M6 to M8 on the image.
To be more exact it is 1.25 degrees from the magnitude 4.5 variable star 3 Sgr towards M6.
On Gendler's image it is half way from the nebula NGC6357 to M8 at RA 17 45 40 dec -29 00 28. http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/MWCenterlabels.html

[glenc (Glen)]

There is a black hole in the middle of the milky way 26,000 light years away from us near Sgr A*. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sagittarius_A*
The following globular clusters are about the same distance away (26kly) as SgrA*; M9, M92, NGC288 and NGC362.
Pity we can't see the middle of the MW.

[Octane (Humayun)]

Forgive the quasi-philosophical post.

I can't get over this image. I've had it open non-stop for the last week on my notebook and can't stop looking at it.

This has to be Master Gendler's finest work, in my estimation.

It's very carefully executed too, in that he only put an hour or so into each subframe, unlike his other masterpieces which involve marathon hours in each channel. He knew it was going to be big and therefore could forego some detail.

Technicalities aside, I can't get over what I'm seeing. We're looking at the immense majesty and beauty of what's directly over us, all the time. If only we paused to admire the grandess and splendour of it all; why it happened, when it happened and how it came to be?

Are we actually looking through a big hole towards the centre of our galaxy? Or, is the cloud really that thick in that region that it blocks out all incoming light? My understanding was that the area around M24 was a hole in our local arm, looking out towards the adjacent arm. It does look like it to me; the same star colours are apparent towards the immediate centre of the image.

The only thing that I think could make this image even better, is if he had included the entire region extending into Ophiuchus. Maybe it's on the cards? That, I think, would be the best image ever produced.

Regards,
Humayun

[avandonk]

Whilst it is an awe inspiring image it does have some glaring overlap faults. Peter do you know what program RG uses for the mosaic assembly?

my mother made me a mosaic

if I gave her the wool would she make me one too?


Here is an animated gif to show the problem 1.4MB
http://d1355990.i49.quadrahosting.co...05/gendler.gif

Also shows a bit of selective area 'enhancement'.




Bert

[Peter Ward]

Originally Posted by avandonk

Whilst it is an awe inspiring image it does have some glaring overlap faults. Peter do you know what program RG uses for the mosaic assembly?
Bert

Yes, I noticed the stitching wasn't quite perfect as well. I think Rob uses Photoshop and Registar....but suspect there are other software ingredients to the brew...but is still a very fine ale!

[glenc (Glen)]

Here is a Spitzer IR telescope image of the black hole in the middle of our galaxy.
http://gallery.spitzer.caltech.edu/I...me=ssc2006-02b
http://ipac.jpl.nasa.gov/media_image...02b_medium.jpg
The Milky Way Center Aglow with Dust
"The final inset to the right shows the center of our galaxy, which is the brightest spot in the entire mosaic. The brightness is a result of dust being heated up by a compact cluster of hot stars. The bright spot also marks the location of a supermassive black hole, around which a rotating ring of gas and dust known as the circumnuclear disk can be seen."
More Spitzer images are at: http://gallery.spitzer.caltech.edu/I...nomical_Images