Towards the Small Magellanic Cloud, 2015 (digital photo)

Creator: Ignacio Diaz Bobillo Spanning a field of view of approximately 3°x 6°, this image shows our neighbouring galaxy, the Small Magellanic Cloud, and globular cluster 47 Tucanae, in visible light. Instead of using a relatively short focal length to cover this field, I stitched together a 3-pane mosaic which allowed me to attain a high resolution through the field. As a result, an immense amount of stars are well resolved, revealing a number of far-away star clusters scattered through the dwarf galaxy. The software used counted over 120,000 stars, the largest number the photographer has ever encountered in his work. Born digital photograph entitled 'Towards the Small Magellanic Cloud' by Ignacio Diaz Bobillo taken on 12th September 2015 in San Antonio de Areco, Argentina. Taken with Astro-Physics 130 f/5 Gran Turismo telescope, Losmandy G11 mount, Canon EOS 6D camera, ISO 800, multiple channels, 5-hour total exposure. Runner-up of the Galaxies category for Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2016.