The Astrophotographer's Yin and Yang
by Ralf Rohner
Title
The Astrophotographer's Yin and Yang
Artist
Ralf Rohner
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"LDo you prefer winter or summer? Cold or warm? Dark or bright? Yin or Yang?
Yin is the dark side of our Milky Way, dominated by Orion, the hunter. As northern hemisphere dwellers, we associate this dimmer part of our galaxy with long, cold nights, but it also contains some of the most beautiful gems in the night sky, as the light fights its way back in the form of stunning red hydrogen emission nebulae, dotting the whole Milky Way band.
For bright Yang, you have to look for Sagittarius, the steaming teapot, which points towards the galactic center, the brightest part of the Milky Way. In the northern hemisphere, this is associated with warmer but shorter spring and summer nights. Adjacent to the Milky Way core, in the border area of Scorpius and Ophiuchi, lies one of the most colorful parts of the night sky, the Rho Ophichui region. Despite all this light, one can not ignore the looming dark cloud of the Great Rift, blocking the starlight and colors in the constellations Serpens, Aquila and part of Cygnus. Ironically, this seemingly star-eating molrcular cloud is home to some of the most active regions of star formation. The light once again gains the upper hand in the bright hydrogen emission nebulae of Cygnus, around the stars Sadr and Deneb.
Thereafter, we enter the transition zone between the bright and the dark side, which is ruled by King Cepheus and his vain wife Cassiopeia.
During a short period in spring and autumn, it is possible to see both sides in a single night. I had the privilege to be able to capture this at Mobius Arch in California.
The Yin-panorama was captured after nightfall, facing westward, and showing the winter Milky Way with setting Orion. The east facing Yang-panorama shows the rising galactic core and Cygnus, shortly before dawn. Both were merged to create this 'Yin-Yang' image, showing the entire Milky Way visible from mid northern lattitudes.
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January 17th, 2023
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