BAADE'S WINDOW - NGC 6522 & 6528

 CLEAR PATH TO THE CENTER BULGE OF OUR MILKY WAY

SAGITTARIUS (THE CENTAUR)

(Image centered at: ra 18 h:05 m / dec - 30º 01')

October 2024, Observatorio Cielos Albertnos, Buenos Aires, Argentina

DATA

TYPE: Clear path towards our Galaxy Center Buldge & Globular Clusters

APPARENT DIAMETER: NGC 6522 5.6 arc minutes & NGC 6528 3.7 arc minutes

APPARENT MAGNITUDE (V): 8.6 and 9.5 respectively

DISTANCE: 25.800 & 25.400 light years respectively

IMAGE INFORMATION

INSTRUMENT: 6" ORION OPTICS UK (Ultra Grade Optics) w/Sky Watcher Coma Corrector at f4.5

CAMERA: QHY 183 M

MOUNT: VIXEN GPDX, OAG with QHY 5II

FILTERS: Baader LRGB Set

SKY CONDITIONS: Bortle 2 skies

OBJECT DESCRIPTION AND IMAGE SESSION

The Baade's Window is located in the constellation of Sagittarius. It is one of the six regions in our sky which presents an aperture to our Milky Way Galactic Bulge. The window area has the particular feature that is free from interstellar dust and clouds and presents a clear view allowing astronomers to explore the center core of our Milky Way in visible and near visible wavelength of light . Important information on the internal geometry of the Milky Way is still being refined by measurements made through this "window". The window is now known to be slightly "south" of the main central galaxy bulge. Its shape is irregular in outline and subtends about 1 degree of the sky. It is centred on the globular cluster NGC 6522 which is the one to the right of the image. The other globular cluster is NGC 6528 which in comparison appears reddened by obscuring dust. The star at the bottom left is Gamma Sagitarii and shines at a visual magnitude of 2,98 vis

This clear patch was named after German astronomer Walter Baade, who first recognized the significance of this clear patch.