An enormous mosaic that spans 1,250 hours of exposure time captures the galaxy in incredible detail

Incredible photography science

#astronomy #space # stars

Twelve years and 1250 hours of exposure time, Finnish photographer JP Metsavainio has put together a massive 1.7 gigapixel composition that outlines every fiery eruption and starburst in the galaxy. The star mosaic documents the 125-degree elongation between Taurus and Cygnus and consists of 234 individual images spanning 10,000 pixels. Nearly 20 million stars are visible in the sky.

The ongoing project began in 2009, and Metsavainio knew it would take at least a decade to realize. “As a visual artist, the composition of the image means a lot. Over the years, I have shot hundreds of individual targets from the Milky Way. Each image taken is an independent work of art. At the same time, I always kept in mind the needs of the final great composition, ‘said the photographer, noting that he first captured the more pronounced elements, such as supernovae, before filling in the gaps.

After shooting with relatively short focal length instruments over the past few years, Metsavainio plans to use this incredibly high-resolution panorama as a map as he goes for longer focal length tools in the coming months. Find details on Metsavainio’s entire process, along with details on the equipment used, on his website, where you can also find a larger portfolio of his galactic projects. (via PetaPixel)

#astronomy #space # stars

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