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The Big Dipper

The Big Dipper lies low in the north, just above some clouds on the horizon, at the Black Forest Star Party.

The Big Dipper, also known as the "Plough" and the "Drinking Gourd", is an asterism that is part of the constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear.

It is a circumpolar constellation, which means it is always above the horizon for observers in most of the United States as it circles around Polaris and the north celestial pole.

The pointer stars in the end of the bowl of the Big Dipper point to Polaris and true north.

Exposure Data
  • Lens: Canon 16 - 35mm F/2.8 L USM Zoom lens working at 16mm focal length
  • F/stop: f/2.8
  • Exposure: Single 30 second exposure
  • Mount: Fixed tripod
  • Camera: Canon EOS 20Da DSLR
  • Mode: JPEG
  • ISO: 1600
  • White Balance: Daylight
  • In-Camera Noise Reduction: Off
  • Filter: None
  • Temp: 55F
  • Time 10:30 p.m. EDT
  • Date September 3, 2005
  • Location: Black Forest Star Party
  • Calibration: None
  • Processing: Standard in-camera JPEG processing. Image cropped, black and white points adjusted, diffusion added, Noise Ninja applied in Photoshop CS2.




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