Three Galaxies and a Comet

Diffuse starlight and dark nebulae along the southern Milky Way arc over the horizon and sprawl diagonally through this gorgeous night sky. The breath-taking mosaic spans a wide 100 degrees, with the rugged terrain of the Patagonia, Argentina region in the foreground.

Along with the insider’s view of our own galaxy, the image features our outside perspective on two irregular satellite galaxies - the Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud.

The scene also captures the broad tail and bright coma of Comet McNaught, the Great Comet of 2007.

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