Did You Know: Images of the Milky Way

Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning partners: Caltech/IPAC, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and Sonoma State University.

 

·        Illustration of the Milky Way: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC/Caltech)
·        European Southern Observatory mosaic of Southern Plane of the Milky Way: ESO/APEX/ATLASGAL consortium/NASA/GLIMPSE consortium/ESA/Planck

 

Written by Claire Blome
Designed by Craig Anderson, Leah Hustak, and Dani Player
Editorial and design input from Margaret W. Carruthers, Dr. Brandon Lawton, Leah Ramsay, and Timothy Rhue II

Music courtesy of Music for Non-Profits 

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Text, Did You Know? Images of the Milky Way

 

Spirals around an elongated golden circle. Text, We can only photograph the Milky Way from the inside. Images of our galaxy cannot be taken by a telescope; they can only be illustrations.

 

Based on observations of other galaxies and the motions of the stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way's overall appearance resembles this model. Illustration of the Milky Way.

 

We would have to send a spacecraft far outside the Milky Way to take a complete "portrait" of the galaxy.

 

It would take billions of years to arrive and hundreds of thousands more for the image to return to Earth.

 

We can view the Milky Way from our position inside it, whether from Earth with our own eyes or through telescopes.

 

Researchers also apply information about other galaxies to inform models of our own Milky Way, refining our understanding of the galaxy. Image of the Milky Way. APEX Telescope.