The Milky Way's Center
Explanation:
NASA's
COBE satellite scanned the heavens at infrared wavelengths in
1990 and produced this premier view of the central region of our own Milky Way
Galaxy. The Milky Way is a typical spiral
galaxy with a central bulge and extended disk of stars. However, gas
and dust
within the disk obscure visible wavelengths of light effectively
preventing clear observations of the center. Since infrared
wavelengths, are less affected by the obscuring material, the
Diffuse InfraRed Background Experiment (DIRBE)
on board COBE was able to
detected infrared light from stars surrounding the galactic center and
produce this image.
Of course, the edge on perspective represents
the view from the vicinity of our
Sun,
a star located in the disk about 30,000 light years out from the center.
The DIRBE experiment used equipment cooled by a tub
of liquid helium to detect the infrared light which, composed of wavelengths
longer than red light, is invisible to the human eye.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
