TGU H1972 - An Eagle in the constellation Apus
A particularly striking section of the galactic cirrus is visible in this image, catalogued as TGU H1972, located in the southern constellation Apus (Bird of Paradise). These are large-scale, faint dust clouds above the galactic plane, illuminated primarily by the combined starlight of the Milky Way.
The structure's distinctive shape evokes the image of a soaring eagle drifting through space. I first noticed this feature in an earlier wide-field image taken with the HyperStar system , and it immediately sparked the idea of capturing it in greater detail using a longer focal length. Particularly fascinating are the fine, filamentary structures along the "leading edges" of the wings.
In addition to the galaxy cluster Abell S0795, which appears in the upper part of the frame, countless other background galaxies are scattered across the entire field of view.
| Date: | 26.04.-25.05.2025 |
| Optics: | Planewave CDK 14 with Televue 0.8x reducer |
| Aperture: | 350 mm |
| Focal Length: | 2050 mm |
| Camera: | QHY268M |
| Exposure: | L:R:G:B 65:36:36:35 x 600 s |
| Location: | Gemsbock Observatory, Rooisand Desert Ranch, Namibia |
| Processing: | PixInsight, Photoshop |
| Diameter: | ~10 light years? |
| Distance: | unknown, 1000 light years? |
