26 000 lights years into the centre of this 1.6deg X 1.6deg field
is the very centre of our Milky Way Galaxy - Sagittarius A.

Full Frame 30% full size

Sagittarius A (or Sgr A) is a complex radio source at the centre of our galaxy, the Milky Way.
It is located in the sky in the Sagittarius constellation. It is hidden from view at optical
wavelengths by large clouds of cosmic dust in the spiral arms of the Milky Way.

AP152 F7.5 Starfire APO + FLI ProLine16803 CCD & CFW-5-7
RGB = 60 60 60min, Astronomik 50mm square filters
-30C chip temp, darks and flats (AstroHandy LightRing used for flats)
Focal Length: 1300mm
Field: 1.6deg X 1.6deg
Image scale = 1.4"/pix
Guide Camera: Starlightxpress SXVH9

Taken from Bob and Pats farm in average seeing
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/image/107700957/original

Some links to equipment used to take this image:

Finger Lakes Instrumentation (FLI) CCD cameras and equipment:
http://www.flicamera.com/

StarlightXpress CCD cameras and equipment
http://www.starlight-xpress.co.uk/

Astro-Elecronic FS2 scope GOTO controller:
http://www.astro-electronic.de/

Gerd Neumann and Astronomik filters:

http://www.astronomik.com/en/home

http://www.gerdneumann.net/

MSB Software & Astroart 4
http://www.msb-astroart.com/

STAR Atlas:PRO planetarium software
http://www.skylab.com.au/

AstroHandy Accessories
http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/astrohandy_lightring

http://www.astrohandy.com