Journey to the Center of the Galaxy
Credit & Copyright: S. Price (AFRL/VSBC) et al.,
CBE,
MSX,
USAF
Explanation:
In
Jules Verne's science fiction classic
A Journey
to the Center of the Earth,
Professor Hardwigg and his fellow explorers
encounter many strange and exciting wonders.
What wonders lie at the
center of
our Galaxy?
Astronomers now know of some of the bizarre objects which exist there,
like
vast dust clouds,
bright
young stars,
swirling rings of gas,
and even a
large
black hole.
Much of the Galactic Center
is shielded from our view in visible light by the
intervening dust and gas,
but it can be explored using
other forms of
electromagnetic radiation.
This
haunting image of the
Galactic Center region in infrared light was made in 1996 by
a telescope onboard the
Midcourse Space Experiment.
The center itself
appears as a bright spot near the middle of this roughly 1 degree field of
view, and the north galactic pole is towards the top.
The picture is in false color -
starlight appears blue while dust is greenish grey, tending to red in
the cooler areas.
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.
