Spitzer 8.0 micron View of the Milky Way Center
Ssc2006 02b1

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/S. Stolovy (Spitzer Science Center/Caltech)

Observation • January 10th, 2006 • ssc2006-02b1

ssc2006-02b1

Our Milky Way is a dusty place. So dusty, in fact, that we cannot see the center of the galaxy in visible light. But when NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope set its infrared eyes on the galactic center, it captured this spectacular view.Taken with just one of Spitzer's cameras (at a wavelength of 8 microns), the image highlights the region's exceptionally bright and dusty clouds, lit up by young massive stars. Individual stars can also be seen as tiny dots scattered throughout the dust. The mosaic shows a portion of the galactic center that stretches across a distance of 760 light-years.

About the Object

Name
Galactic CenterMilky Way
Type
Nebula > Type > Interstellar Medium
Nebula > Type > Star Formation
Galaxy > Component > Center/Core
Distance
26,000 Light Years

Color Mapping

Band Wavelength Telescope
Infrared 8.0 µm Spitzer IRAC