Photo of the Week for October 25, 2013
Late summer and fall observing is considered the best time for astronomy by many enthusiasts. The absence of mosquitoes and blackflies, the bane of all outdoor recreationists, combined with darkness arriving earlier allows for a more enjoyable observing session. From a dark observing location at this time of year, the summer Milky Way is seen at nightfall sinking into the southwestern horizon, while still allowing most of the summer deep sky treasures to be observed. Adam Moncrief of Kanata, Ontario, took this image of the southern Milky Way on August 31 from Ontario’s Silver Lake Provincial Park. Using a Canon EOS 60Da mounted atop a Vixen Polarie tracking mount, he took a 60-second exposure at ISO 1600 using a 35mm lens set to f/3.5.
