August 4, 2016

Center of the Milky Way Galaxy in the Infrared

Center of the Milky Way Galaxy in the Infrared

The Spitzer Space Telescope's infrared-light observations provide a detailed and spectacular view of the galactic center region. The swirling core of our galaxy harbors hundreds of thousands of stars that cannot be seen in visible light. These stars heat the nearby gas and dust. These dusty clouds glow in infrared light and reveal their often dramatic shapes. Some of these clouds harbor stellar nurseries that are forming new generations of stars. Like the downtown of a large city, the center of our galaxy is a crowded, active, and vibrant place.

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSC/S.Stolovy
Explanation from: http://chandra.si.edu/photo/2009/galactic/more.html

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