New Zealand All Sky View

A starry night in Tongariro National Park, the oldest protected area in New Zealand and also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. At a dark site over Lake Rotoaira just south of greater Lake Taupo on New Zealand’s North Island, the Milky Way bridges across the southern sky in its all beauty. In the far side of Lake Rotoaira is snow capped Tongariro volcano (1967 m). Move the slider on the image to see labels and to recognize the constellations. Our galactic neighbors the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds stands above the southern horizon. Bright stars of Alpha and Beta Centauri are at the lower right, near the Southern Cross and the dark nebula known as the Coal Sack.