Explanation:
The plane of our Milky Way Galaxy runs right
through
Auriga, the Charioteer.
A good part of the ancient northern constellation's
rich collection of nebulae and star clusters is featured in
this expansive, 10 degree wide skyscape.
Bright star
Elnath
lies near the bottom right,
linking Auriga to another constellation, Taurus, the Bull.
Three open star clusters, Charles Messier's
M36,
M37, and
M38 line up in the
dense star field above and left of Elnath, familiar to many
binocular-equiped skygazers.
But the deep exposure also brings out the reddish emission nebulae
of star-forming regions
IC 405,
IC 410, and
IC 417.
E. E. Barnard's dark nebulae B34 and B226
just stand out against a brighter background.
For help identifying even more of Auriga's deep sky highlights,
put your cursor over the image.
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