The darkest nights in the Southern Hemisphere are above Pitcairn island, one of the international dark sanctuaries around the globe. Pitcairn is just 2000 km southeast of Huahine island. There must be some darkness to shoot also in Huahine…

A good observation point facing the Milky Way seems my lodge beach, in front of Fare harbor, where Captain cook passed by exactly this day July the 16th, just 344 years ago.

Time to set up my Skyguider Pro (a star tracker, here pictured on its tripod with a mobile phone) for shooting this almost cloudless nights. The Hemisphere is set to (S)outh, one eye is on giant coconut crabs crawling in the sand: time to start!

Let’s give a look up there in Sagittarius, so high in the sky as I have never seen on the Northern hemisphere. Sagittarius is in front of the heart of our galaxy, the Milky Way. You remember the name of the black hole recently found in the heart of our galaxy? It is called Sagittarius A* not for nothing. Here is a constellation map overlapping with my picture to help your orientation (thanks to astrometry.net)

In Sagittarius, with a Nikon 400 mm lens the wonderful Trifid and Lagoon Nebulas are clearly visible with their purple and blue colors. Which one is one? Find it in this charted version of this picture

Just a bit lower, here is the most known constellation of the Southern hemisphere: the Southern Cross, represented on several flags of the Pacific Area (and not only): New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Samoa and Papua New Guinea. Do you see the five stars , three blue and two yellow? Some star clusters are present too, Help yourself here.

And here, new celestial bodies I have  never shot before: Carina Nebula, Pearl Nebula, Wishing Well Cluster… in the Southern hemisphere there is no lack of fantasy for naming deep space objects

As well, a first time for the two bright starts of Scorpio sting: Leshat and Shaula, the raised tail of the Scorpius constellation, aka Maui’s fishing hook. Close by, the reddish War and Peace nebula

A final deeper look into Carina, the Orion Nebula of the Southern hemisphere: it is massive and bright indeed, even 4x wider than Orion nebula and much brighter. In reality it is made out of 3 Nebulas: Eta Carina, Keyhole and NGC 3324

And this was really the last episode of my displacement in time through French Polynesia.

 Thanks again to Jose, Daniel and Sangmook @ile-du-monde for the great adventure. Looking forward to go back again to this planet of waters and wonders. So many island to explore, so many people to meet, so many new starts to shoot. Previous episodes:

September 2023-
0. French Polynesia: my displacement in time – from 6.9.23
1. Dots in the ocean – from 8.9.23
2. With wet ankles in Big Moana – from 10.9.23
3. Would you mind bringing the fruit? Be quick! – from 13.9.23
4. Coconut split – from 15.9.23
5. Moana’s ritual – from 17.9.23
6. On the road to the Rock of Displacement – from 20.9.23
7. A dangerous hug – from 22.9.23
8. It’s war! – from 24.9.23
9. Heiva nights: dancing the myth– from 27.9.23
10. Catch the fight – from 29.9.23

– October 2023-
11. Another portion of fruit, please – from 1.10.23
12. Lift it if you can – from 4.10.23
13. Keep Moorea always on your mind – from 6.10.23
14. Allons enfants de la Patrie a Tahiti! – from 8.10.23
15. Return to the Spear Age – from 11.10.23
16. What’s on in Papeete – from 13.10.23
17. Teahupo‘o, surf for the gold medal – from 15.10.23
18. Papeete open air – from 18.10.23
19. Heiva nights: back to the origins – from 20.10.23
20. Va’a: the displacement in time – from 22.10.23
21. Va’a: the competition – from 25.10.23
22. Heiva nights: across time – from 27.10.23
23. Heiva the champions – from 29.10.23

– November 2023 –
24. Don’t wake up Te Fiti – from 1.11.23
25. Sharks ahead! – from 3.11.23
26. Na na Huahine – from 5.11.23
27. (extra) One last shot in the darkness, Huahine – from 8.11.23

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