Picturing the invisible - a beautiful collision of science and art
ScienceThe National Tribune

Picturing the invisible - a beautiful collision of science and art

Australian astrophotographer Alex Cherney was given rare access to CSIRO's remote radio telescope site in WA to photograph the Milky Way in stunning detail.

It’s the rarest of nights on Wajarri Yamaji Country, about 800 kilometres north of Perth. There’s no hint of the Moon. Not a wisp of cloud. The Milky

The Long Sip
What happened

Astrophotographer Alex Cherney was granted rare overnight access to CSIRO's ASKAP radio telescope site on Wajarri Yamaji Country, about 800 kilometres north of Perth.

The detail

Photography is normally banned at the site because electronic noise from cameras can interfere with the ultra-sensitive telescope observations, making this access extraordinary.

And then

Alex even had the giant radio dishes repositioned to his preferred angle, capturing a panorama of the Milky Way that reveals hydrogen clouds invisible to the naked eye.

For you

The CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory is normally off-limits to photographers due to telescope sensitivity, making these images a genuinely once-in-a-lifetime view.

Full story at The National Tribune

What readers are saying

Gordo
The dishes only moved because he asked the site manager after 9pm. Means the whole array can be repositioned on command which is handy when the Milky Way finally drops into the right spot for the pano. Most of the survey work uses fixed patterns so that flexibility is rare.
Denza
A diffusion filter on the modified Canon helps render the brighter stars at a size closer to what we actually see with the naked eye.

More from Cuppa

Google's new 'CC' is an AI agent that helps families run their households

Google has relaunched its CC AI agent as a household organiser for families, helping manage schedules, school emails, meal plans and shared to-do lists.

SpaceX to fly more NASA crews to space station under expanded $5.92 billion deal

NASA has handed SpaceX a $946 million contract for three more astronaut missions to the International Space Station, extending the partnership through 2030.

Coffee on the nanoscale: Graphene oxide membrane removes half the caffeine while retaining key compounds

Australian researchers at UNSW have developed a graphene oxide membrane that removes about half the caffeine from already-brewed coffee while keeping its flavour compounds intact.

China extending sea dominion to Batanes?

China's Coast Guard is now patrolling waters east of the Philippines' Batanes islands, raising fears Beijing is expanding its maritime claims beyond the South China Sea.

Women and girls pay high price in DR Congo Ebola outbreak

Women and girls make up more than half of confirmed Ebola cases in the DR Congo outbreak, largely because they bear the burden of caring for the sick at home.

Macklemore ticket prices rise amid Ed Sheeran tour fallout

Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour after making pro-Palestine comments onstage, and has since announced he will donate his $1 million in tour earnings to Palestinian aid.

UK publisher drops books by David Walliams

HarperCollins UK is dropping David Walliams' entire back catalogue after allegations of harassing female staff, going further than its earlier decision to stop new titles.

Uber ordered to pay $40m to family of woman killed after driver left her on highway

A US jury ordered Uber to pay $40 million to the family of a 23-year-old killed after her driver dumped her and a sick friend on a California highway.

Back to the feed