apod
06-05-08, 12:11 PM
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0806/iracmb_gc_c800.jpg (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0806/iracmb_gc_f1.jpg) Spitzer's Milky Way
Credit: GLIMPSE (http://www.astro.wisc.edu/glimpse/), MIPSGAL (http://mipsgal.ipac.caltech.edu/), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html), JPL-Caltech (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), Univ. Wisconsin (http://www.astro.wisc.edu/)
Explanation: The Spitzer Space Telescope's encompasing infrared view (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2008-11/ index.shtml) of the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy is hard to appreciate (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071020.html) in just one picture. In fact, more than 800,000 frames of data from Spitzer's cameras have now been pieced to together in an enormous mosaic (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2008-11/ visuals.shtml) of the galactic plane - the most detailed (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2008-11/ moreinfo.shtml) infrared picture of our galaxy ever made. The small portion seen here spans nearly 8 degrees, roughly the apparent (http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/scale.html) width of your fist held at arms length, across the galaxy's center (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080104.html). The full mosaic is 120 degrees wide. Highlighted (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2008-11/ release.shtml) in the false-color presentation are curving green filaments of light from complex molecules - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/features/articles/ 20050627.shtml)) - that on Earth are the common, sooty products of incomplete combustion. The PAHs are found in star forming (http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/Outreach/Edu/sform.html) regions, along with reddish emission from graphite dust particles (http://www.chem.ucl.ac.uk/cosmicdust/specialist.htm#gas). Blue specs throughout the picture are individual Milky Way stars.
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080605.html)
Credit: GLIMPSE (http://www.astro.wisc.edu/glimpse/), MIPSGAL (http://mipsgal.ipac.caltech.edu/), NASA (http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html), JPL-Caltech (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/), Univ. Wisconsin (http://www.astro.wisc.edu/)
Explanation: The Spitzer Space Telescope's encompasing infrared view (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2008-11/ index.shtml) of the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy is hard to appreciate (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap071020.html) in just one picture. In fact, more than 800,000 frames of data from Spitzer's cameras have now been pieced to together in an enormous mosaic (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2008-11/ visuals.shtml) of the galactic plane - the most detailed (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2008-11/ moreinfo.shtml) infrared picture of our galaxy ever made. The small portion seen here spans nearly 8 degrees, roughly the apparent (http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/scale.html) width of your fist held at arms length, across the galaxy's center (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080104.html). The full mosaic is 120 degrees wide. Highlighted (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/Media/releases/ssc2008-11/ release.shtml) in the false-color presentation are curving green filaments of light from complex molecules - polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs (http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/features/articles/ 20050627.shtml)) - that on Earth are the common, sooty products of incomplete combustion. The PAHs are found in star forming (http://www.ipac.caltech.edu/Outreach/Edu/sform.html) regions, along with reddish emission from graphite dust particles (http://www.chem.ucl.ac.uk/cosmicdust/specialist.htm#gas). Blue specs throughout the picture are individual Milky Way stars.
Source (http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap080605.html)