Having just acquired a piece of gear for wide-field photos (which is a tried-and-true way of getting any astrophotographer off their butt and outside), the New Equipment Curse (NEC) promptly kicked in with vigour and the sky stayed cloudy for several nights. It finally cleared enough for me to run out to my backyard and catch some photons – with a very rough polar alignment driven more by excitement than skill, I’m afraid. This image is centred on NGC 3372, the Eta Carina Nebula, and spans approximately 48 degrees by 20 degrees. The Coal Sack (Caldwell 99) and the Southern Cross appear to the left of the image. The Lambda Centauri Cluster (IC 2944) sits between the Eta Carina Nebula and the Coal Sack. Below and slightly to the left of centre is the Southern Pleiades Cluster (IC 2602), and to the right of that is the open cluster NGC 3114. 

Date: 09 April 2022
Constellations: Crux, Musca, Centaurus (partial), Carina (partial), Vela (partial)
R.A.: 10h 49m 49s
Dec.: -57° 46' 59.4"
Photo stuff: 20 subs@60s ea.; ISO 1600; Canon 6D with Vivitar 35mm at f/5.6, on a Skywatcher Star Adventurer 2i mount