Milky Way over Atacama Desert, Chile

Atacama Desert, near San Pedro de Atacama, Antofagasta Region, Chile (March 2019)

The Atacama Desert is renowned for clear night skies. Several astronomical observatories (e.g., Paranal, ALMA) are sited there. The Milky Way is clearly visible with the naked eye. Several objects are identifiable in this photograph. The Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, is to the right of the top of the cactus. The Small Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy near the Milky Way, is on the horizon to the right of the cactus. The Coalsack Nebula, a dark nebula silhouetted against the Milky Way, is the prominent circular dark patch approximately one-third of the way along the Milky Way from the bottom left. Acrux, a star in the constellation Crux or Southern Cross, appears on the top right edge of the Coalsack Nebula. To the bottom left of the Coalsack Nebula, there are two bright stars, Hadar (Beta Centauri) and Alpha Centauri, of the constellation Centaurus. Alpha Centauri is a triple star which is the closest star system to the Solar System at 4.4 light years. The line between Alpha and Beta Centauri can be used to help locate the Southern Cross.

This image was taken during the North Chile's Coastal & Desert Wildlife trip organised by Natures Images and led by Mark Sisson and Pablo Cersosimo (Wild South Photography).

Shooting Time 23:58
Tv(Shutter Speed) 10
Av(Aperture Value) 2.8
ISO Speed 3200
Colour Temperature 5400K