APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Comments and questions about the APOD on the main view screen.
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APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by APOD Robot » Thu Feb 27, 2020 5:06 am

Image Two Hemisphere Night Sky

Explanation: The Sun is hidden by a horizon that runs across the middle in this two hemisphere view of Earth's night sky. The digitally stitched mosaics were recorded from corresponding latitudes, one 29 degrees north and one 29 degrees south of the planet's equator. On top is the northern view from the IAC observatory at La Palma taken in February 2020. Below is a well-matched southern scene from the ESO La Silla Observatory recorded in April 2016. In this projection, the Milky Way runs almost vertically above and below the horizon. Its dark clouds and and bright nebulae are prominent near the galactic center in the lower half of the frame. In the upper half, brilliant Venus is immersed in zodiacal light. Sunlight faintly scattered by interplanetary dust, the zodiacal light traces the Solar System's ecliptic plane in a complete circle through the starry sky. Large telescope domes bulge along the inverted horizon from La Silla while at La Palma, multi-mirror Magic telescopes stand above center. Explore this two hemisphere night sky and you can also find the Andromeda Galaxy and the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.

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ZybotAus

Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by ZybotAus » Thu Feb 27, 2020 5:45 am

Is there any way to upvote this picture? It's fantastic! Also, is the top half the northern hemisphere & the the bottom half the southern?

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Ann
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Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by Ann » Thu Feb 27, 2020 8:46 am

ZybotAus wrote: Thu Feb 27, 2020 5:45 am Is there any way to upvote this picture? It's fantastic! Also, is the top half the northern hemisphere & the the bottom half the southern?
The top half is definitely the northern hemisphere, and the bottom half is definitely the southern hemisphere.

Ann
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Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by Pit » Thu Feb 27, 2020 2:01 pm

Wow, this is absolutely stunning indeed. Zodiacal light as an almost perfect circle.... (and even 'my' telescope is on, as a few pixels :wink: )
They should sell this as a poster....

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Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by neufer » Thu Feb 27, 2020 2:50 pm

Ann wrote: Thu Feb 27, 2020 8:46 am
ZybotAus wrote: Thu Feb 27, 2020 5:45 am
Is there any way to upvote this picture? It's fantastic! Also, is the top half the northern hemisphere & the the bottom half the southern?
The top half is definitely the northern hemisphere,
and the bottom half is definitely the southern hemisphere.
I have no qualms with the lady from Sweden correcting our English from time to time ...
but it is a bridge too far for her to arrogantly identify the southern hemisphere sky :!:

I demand a police lineup of the usual sky suspects.
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Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by BDanielMayfield » Thu Feb 27, 2020 2:59 pm

Very nice composite. Note that we can see at least three other local group galaxies in this composition. Perhaps more?
Just as zero is not equal to infinity, everything coming from nothing is illogical.

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Ann
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Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by Ann » Thu Feb 27, 2020 3:42 pm

BDanielMayfield wrote: Thu Feb 27, 2020 2:59 pm Very nice composite. Note that we can see at least three other local group galaxies in this composition. Perhaps more?
Andomeda M33 Mirach.png
The Andromeda Galaxy, star Mirach, and galaxy M33. Photo: Farhang Zia.
Yes, you can actually see four. In the northern hemisphere picture, start at the top right corner. Move some distance to the lower left, and you can easily see the Andromeda galaxy. Keep moving in the same direction to the lower left, and you will see a moderately bright, relatively yellow star. That is Mirach, Beta Andromedae, a red M-type giant star.

Keep moving in the same direction, and you will see a grayish smudge. That is the Triangulum galaxy, M33. If you keep moving in the same direction again, you will come to another relatively bright star, Hamal, Alpha Arietis, a K-type giant.

Ann
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Steve-Dutch

Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by Steve-Dutch » Thu Feb 27, 2020 4:09 pm

Well, color me impressed. The zodiacal band is incredible. And I think you can see the gegenschein on the far left at the horizon. The gegenschein is tough enough, but photographing it on the horizon is beyond incredible. Orion is above and right of the big dome in the top half of the photo.

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Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by neufer » Thu Feb 27, 2020 4:24 pm

Steve-Dutch wrote: Thu Feb 27, 2020 4:09 pm
The zodiacal band is incredible.

And I think you can see the gegenschein on the far left at the horizon.

The gegenschein is tough enough, but photographing it on the horizon is beyond incredible.
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Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by BDanielMayfield » Thu Feb 27, 2020 7:47 pm

Ann wrote: Thu Feb 27, 2020 3:42 pm
BDanielMayfield wrote: Thu Feb 27, 2020 2:59 pm Very nice composite. Note that we can see at least three other local group galaxies in this composition. Perhaps more?
Andomeda M33 Mirach.png
The Andromeda Galaxy, star Mirach, and galaxy M33. Photo: Farhang Zia.
Yes, you can actually see four. In the northern hemisphere picture, start at the top right corner. Move some distance to the lower left, and you can easily see the Andromeda galaxy. Keep moving in the same direction to the lower left, and you will see a moderately bright, relatively yellow star. That is Mirach, Beta Andromedae, a red M-type giant star.

Keep moving in the same direction, and you will see a grayish smudge. That is the Triangulum galaxy, M33. If you keep moving in the same direction again, you will come to another relatively bright star, Hamal, Alpha Arietis, a K-type giant.

Ann
Thanks Ann. I suspected, but wasn't sure if the Triangulum galaxy was inside this field. All the biggest and brightest members of our Local Group present and accounted for!
Just as zero is not equal to infinity, everything coming from nothing is illogical.

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Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by neufer » Thu Feb 27, 2020 8:40 pm

Note the Pleiades & the California nebula: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap181220.html
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Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by orin stepanek » Thu Feb 27, 2020 9:59 pm

LaSillaLaPalma_Horalek_Casado_ZLCircle_viz_1124px.jpg
Picture kind of strange with the No. & So. hemispheres;
but i really like the view of Andromeda!😍
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Ironwood

Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by Ironwood » Fri Feb 28, 2020 5:51 pm

I'm running behind on my APODs, but could someone tell me why the Andromeda Galaxy looks larger than the LMC when it is actually far smaller in the sky?

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Re: APOD: Two Hemisphere Night Sky (2020 Feb 27)

Post by neufer » Fri Feb 28, 2020 6:17 pm

Ironwood wrote: Fri Feb 28, 2020 5:51 pm
I'm running behind on my APODs,
but could someone tell me why
the Andromeda Galaxy looks larger than the LMC
when it is actually far smaller in the sky?
For the same reason that
Greenland looks larger than South America
in Mercator projection.
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