The Galactic Core above India’s Historic Sampurnanand Telescope

Image Title: The Galactic Core above India’s Historic Sampurnanand Telescope

Copyright:Harshwardhan Pathak

Date image was taken: August 25, 2025

Location: ARIES, Nainital Uttrakhand, India

Data Acquisition Method: Personal Telescope Setup

Description and Details: This image shows the Milky Way’s galactic center rising above the 104-cm Sampurnanand Telescope at ARIES, Manora Peak, Nainital (~1950 m elevation). The telescope—an Ritchey–Chrétien reflector (f/13) on a two-pier English equatorial mount—was installed in 1972 by Carl Zeiss, Germany, and remains one of India’s longest-serving optical facilities. For over five decades it has contributed to research on star clusters, star-forming regions, active galactic nuclei, supernovae, and optical afterglows of gamma-ray bursts. ARIES celebrated its Golden Jubilee in 2022, marking 50 years of successful scientific operations.
This photograph juxtaposes India’s enduring astronomical heritage with the dense starfields, dark dust lanes, and nebulae of the Milky Way core. I feel truly grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to work with this historic telescope, which has been a gateway to the cosmos for generations of astronomers.
30* 20 secs
ISO 3200
White balance AUTO

Foreground taken in blue hours
ISO 300 at shutter 1/250
Both sky and foreground stacked seperately

Camera: Nikon D810 with 14-24MM F/2.8
With stable tripod

Edited in Pixinsight and Adobe Photoshop

Name: Harshwardhan Pathak

Website or Facebook Profile: http://instagram.com/mr.cosmic.wanderer?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ==