The Milky Way Near the Southern Cross

Explanation: This breathtaking patch of sky would be above you were you to stand at the south pole of the Earth . Just above and to the right of the photograph's center are the four stars that mark the boundaries of the famous Southern Cross . At the top of this constellation, also known as “The Crux,” is the orange star Gamma Crucis . The band of stars, dust, and gas crossing the middle of the photograph is part our Milky Way Galaxy . In the very center of the photograph is the dark Coal Sack Nebula, and the bright nebula on the far right is the Eta Carina Nebula . The southern cross is so famous a constellation that it is depicted on the Australian National Flag .