this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2024
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[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (5 children)

Wow I didn't realise the naked eye limit is that small.

So when we see that concentrated strip of stars across the sky (the "milky way"), is that just the Gould Belt, not one of the main arms?

Edit: no that can't be right - we can see the LMC and SMC, both just beyond the edge of the galaxy...

[–] [email protected] 8 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (3 children)

As I understand, the naked eye limit is the limit in which we can see distinct stars and not just a bright blurr. E.g. the centre bulge is visible from the southern hemisphere is outside the naked eye radius in the map.

[–] niktemadur 2 points 4 days ago

Only just now it's hitting me that when looking at globular clusters through a telescope, one is looking far, far beyond the single-star naked eye limit.

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