The large bright section of the Milky Way in the center of this picture is known as the Scutum Star Cloud because it is found in the small constellation Scutum, the shield.  It is one of the brightest sections of the Milky Way, and it is easy to see with the naked eye on a clear summer night from a dark location.  The small, very bright patch to the left of center is Messier 11, the Wild Duck Cluster.  The next image shows a closer view of that area of sky.

Image details:  10-minute exposure on Kodak Ektar 1000 film using a Canon camera and an Aero-Ektar lens with a focal length of 178 mm.

July 1992