Alentejo and the Galactic Center

Alentejo is a south-central region of Portugal. The origin of its name, "Além-Tejo", literally translates to "Beyond the Tagus" or "Across the Tagus". The region is separated from the rest of Portugal by the Tagus river, and extends to the south where it borders the Algarve. Alentejo is a region known for its polyphonic singing groups, comparable to those found on Sardinia and Corsica. Its main cities are Évora, Elvas, Portalegre, Beja, Serpa and Sines.

The Galactic Center is the rotational center of the Milky Way galaxy. It is located at a distance of 8.33±0.35 kpc (~27,000±1,000 ly) from the Earth in the direction of the constellations Sagittarius, Ophiuchus, and Scorpius where the Milky Way appears brightest. There is strong evidence that supports the existence of a supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center of the Milky Way.

Image Data: Alentejo and the Galactic Center

Lens / Scope: Canon 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 EF-S Zoom IS Lens
Focal Length: 18mm
F/stop: f/4
Exposure: Stack of 10 25-second exposures (4 minutes total exposure)
Mount: Fixed Tripod
Guiding: None
Camera: Canon 500D (Digital Rebel T1i) Baader Mod
Mode: RAW
ISO: 1600
White Balance: Custom
In-Camera Noise Reduction: Off
Filter: None
Date: August 24, 2012
Start Time: 01:00
Location: Alentejo, Portugal
Calibration: None
Processing: Stacked in DSS. Post-processing in Photoshop