The Emu in the Sky

Gallery: LandscapePosted March 23, 2011623 views28 comments

Hi All,

I took this photo from the Somuncura Plateau, a very remote location in the Argentinian Patagonia. The skies were pitch dark!.

The photo shows the figure known as "the Emu in the Sky" a constellation made by the dark nebulas that contrast against the southern Milky Way.

The head of the Emu is at the coalsack nebula just right to the southern cross. Alpha & Beta Centauri make the neck and the body is at the Scorpius area.

I intended to shoot several shots and stack them but I had some technical problems, I hope the single shot is good enough. There are a few hotpixels in the thumb fixed in the large version (I hope).

Do you see the Emu in the sky?

Details:
5DII, Nikon 14-24 F2.8
F2.8, 20'', ISO3200
Single shot

Thanks!!
Luis

Comments

28 comments

Comment posted by Bill Chambers on March 23, 2011 at 2:02 PM

Incredibly beautiful Luis - I never tire of these gorgeous images of the heavens.

Registered on April 10, 2005, 753 Posts, 21216 Comments

Comment posted by R.Bill Moser on March 23, 2011 at 2:30 PM

This is incredible

Registered on January 29, 2010, 285 Posts, 4281 Comments

Comment posted by Jorne de Bruin on March 23, 2011 at 3:11 PM

Simply stunning indeed Luis!!

Registered on June 26, 2008, 178 Posts, 2136 Comments

Comment posted by Jake Case on March 23, 2011 at 3:12 PM

Fantastic image, and yes I see the emu! I think I'd like to see the black strip at the bottom cropped, maybe in half. It's a nice touch to the shot, but there's seems to be a lot of empty space down there tugging for attention. Otherwise, this a very well done image. Unless you were looking to pull some detail out of the landscape at the bottom (which I wouldn't find neccessary at all), I think a single exposure here worked perfectly fine!

Registered on December 13, 2010, 38 Posts, 167 Comments

Comment posted by Luis Argerich on March 23, 2011 at 3:31 PM

Thanks for the feedback guys!

@Jake: Thanks for the idea! I think I can certainly crop some of the bottom. The terrain was very flat and uninteresting and on a moonless night I would have to expose it for hours to get some detail so that was never in my plans.

Registered on December 22, 2009, 91 Posts, 1349 Comments

Comment posted by Manoj Vallati on March 23, 2011 at 4:15 PM

Amazing beautiful shot of the dark skies and the milky way..Even I think taking 1-2 % off the bottom would strengthen the picture.. also keeping the band rt in center would help
Thanks for sharing

Registered on February 24, 2011, 49 Posts, 148 Comments

Comment posted by Nick Bristol on March 23, 2011 at 4:33 PM

Hey Luis,

This is just awesome! The large version is amazing to look at. Your single exposure worked great. Nice work, Luis!

Nick Bristol
Lone Rock, WI

Registered on February 1, 2004, 752 Posts, 14140 Comments

Comment posted by David Edwards on March 23, 2011 at 5:46 PM

I see the Emu, Luis. A fabulous shot of the stars. The slight streaking of the stars creates a bit of blur, but I guess you've pushed the limits of your camera's ISO (know anyone with D3s?). A beautiful shot!

Registered on December 6, 2008, 142 Posts, 2623 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on March 23, 2011 at 5:52 PM

Beautiful starry sky! I would second the bottom crop suggestion, but otherwise, might fine.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by Mark Seaver on March 23, 2011 at 6:59 PM

Beautiful capture. I too love pictures of the night sky. I'm amazed that you've gotten so much detail and very shot star trails in a 20 second exposure. I don't think the black horizon adds much, maybe just a thin strip.

Registered on January 23, 2011, 1103 Posts, 17270 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on March 23, 2011 at 7:24 PM

Beautiful -
I'd suggest only getting rid of maybe half of the dark land at the bottom.
It draws the eye a bit.
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments

Comment posted by Tom Haxby on March 23, 2011 at 7:41 PM

One type of photo that I have never tried, but you have me thinking that this could be neat to try out. Agree about the crop, but otherwise this is a fantastic image

Registered on July 6, 2006, 126 Posts, 647 Comments

Comment posted by Phillip Noll on March 23, 2011 at 7:42 PM

Wow. makes me very small and insignificant! I love looking up at the Milky Way. Maybe someday the ship will come and take me back home!

Registered on November 17, 2003, 207 Posts, 1083 Comments

Comment posted by Nancy Lea Sandy on March 23, 2011 at 8:24 PM

This is fantastic, Luis. I'm guessing you were VERY remote to get a sky with that many stars. Beautifully done.

Registered on January 24, 2011, 576 Posts, 6942 Comments

Comment posted by Darren Huski on March 23, 2011 at 8:48 PM

Super image!!!!

Agree with the comment to take a little off the bottom.

Registered on August 17, 2008, 61 Posts, 340 Comments

Comment posted by Scott Smorra on March 23, 2011 at 9:06 PM

Amazing image Luis. The dark nebulas really make this one great. Have you printed any images like this one? I'm wondering how they look when printed big.

Registered on November 2, 2009, 161 Posts, 2143 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Balke on March 23, 2011 at 9:40 PM

Wonderful resolution and sharpness to have captured such tiny points of light so well, Luis. I agree with others who suggest cropping some from the bottom of the image. Lovely image.

Registered on June 18, 2009, 229 Posts, 2915 Comments

Comment posted by Zack Clothier on March 24, 2011 at 1:03 AM

Stunning night shot Luis, that sky is absolutely breathtaking! I would agree on a small crop from the bottom.

Registered on January 28, 2010, 343 Posts, 2257 Comments

Comment posted by dean hebert on March 24, 2011 at 4:09 AM

So many stars! It looks like you could give the Hubble a run for it's money! I would crop most of the bottom and then make it just a silhouette. Great shot!

Registered on August 4, 2010, 70 Posts, 1132 Comments

Comment posted by Eric Mannino on March 24, 2011 at 8:10 AM

Absolutely amazing. I am speechless.

Registered on November 16, 2009, 22 Posts, 65 Comments

Comment posted by Lucy VanSwearingen on March 24, 2011 at 8:35 AM

I wish I had someplace near, where I could see such incredible stars!! They look like glitter being sprinkled to the ground.

Registered on May 23, 2009, 800 Posts, 2042 Comments

Comment posted by Hamed Musharbak on March 24, 2011 at 9:10 AM

very strange

i like it a lot

Hamed

Registered on June 1, 2009, 372 Posts, 2282 Comments

Comment posted by Morkel Erasmus on March 24, 2011 at 4:26 PM

wonderful expanse captured here Luis! love the shape of the "Emu" and the colours in the various stars...I can imagine skies being dark in this region!

Registered on March 22, 2011, 385 Posts, 2068 Comments

Comment posted by Luis Argerich on March 24, 2011 at 5:35 PM

Ty for the feedback I'm happy you liked it. It's really important because I wanted to do something better but had to settle for this.

The skies are the key, it's one of the most remote locations in my country there are no lights at least 200km around and it's dry, the altitude 1000 meters help to get a clear atmosphere. The photo never does justice to what you can see but it's a nice way to remember that feeling of vastness.

Registered on December 22, 2009, 91 Posts, 1349 Comments

Comment posted by Morris McClung on March 24, 2011 at 7:31 PM

Excellent star and night sky shot.

Registered on May 7, 2007, 670 Posts, 19650 Comments

Comment posted by Gino Cortez on March 25, 2011 at 8:58 AM

Starry starry night, indeed! Very nice.

Registered on November 23, 2010, 57 Posts, 396 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Sieren on March 26, 2011 at 11:15 AM

I love the way you can see all the color in the gases of the milky way.

Registered on January 2, 2008, 360 Posts, 5321 Comments

Comment posted by Ron Pederson on March 27, 2011 at 11:26 AM

An amazing capture, well done. The colors in the sky and the amount of stars you've gotten in the frame are what does it for me. I don't mind the darkness at the bottom; it creates some tension and keeps it grounded IMO.

Registered on October 19, 2010, 95 Posts, 470 Comments