The Milky Way's Center
Explanation:
Although the Earth is round, our Galaxy appears
truly flat. This was shown in dramatic fashion by the
COsmic Background Explorer (COBE)
satellite which produced this premier view of the central region
of our own Milky Way Galaxy
in infrared light in1990. 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
module 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.
