Description

Milky Way Arched over Sedona

This photo was shot from the top of Baby Bell Rock in early July when the Milky Way is at its best. ln the foreground from left to right are the Twin Buttes, the Nuns, Gibraltor, Lee Mountain, Rabbit Ears, Courthouse Butte, Bell Rock, and Castle Rock. The light near the left edge of Twin Buttes is Chapel of the Holy Cross. The glow to the left of Twin Buttes is from the lights of Sedona, the glow over Bell Rock is from lights in the Village of Oak Creek. The brightest object in the night sky just right of the summit of Bell Rock is Mars, and the second brightest, left and slightly above Mars is Saturn. The apparent split in the Milky Way (the Great Rift aka Cygnus Split), is due to a light blocking molecular du.st cloud lying between the Earth and galactic center. The Milky Way is estimated to contain 100-400 billion stars, and at least100 billion planets. The unseen center of the Milky Way, located on the left arm at top of Courthouse Butte level, is believed to be a supermassive black hole.