Ten months in the making, the incredible mosaic of approximately 4,000 photographs gives a detailed look at the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). The satellite galaxy is visible as a faint cloud for those living in the Southern Hemisphere, so getting a close-up vision of the LMC is a real treat. The photo, which was named NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day, came together thanks to the work of five dedicated amateur astronomers.
Ciel Austral is an association of astronomy lovers that operate an observatory in Chile. Together they have pooled their collective love for the stars and their years of experience to create memorable images of outer space. To capture the photograph of the LMC, a smaller galaxy operating inside the gravitational pull of the Milky Way, it took a real group effort. Although having five different perspectives on how to complete the photo could have presented challenges, their collective experience made for an unparalleled view of the galaxy.
All told, they spent five months in 2017 and five months in 2018 shooting 3,936 frames to pull together a 4×4 mosaic spanning more than five degrees or ten full moons. It took two computers to pre-process the frames and align the mosaic. It was a touch and go process, which spanned eight days, as the team went through several iterations before finding the perfect alignment. With 620 gigabytes of data to process, it took two months to bring the work to a conclusion.
Ciel Austral estimates that it took 1,060 hours of exposure time overall with their 160mm refracting telescope to get what they were after. Add to this the lengthy processing time, and it is difficult not to admire these men for their dedication. The time spent was worth it to get a crisp, detailed view of the Large Magellanic Cloud. With a final photograph that is 204 megapixels and measures 14400×14200 pixels, the color and depth of the stunning image are to be admired.
Ciel Austral: Website
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