Science!

Astronomers have made the most detailed infrared map of our galaxy ever made.

The huge map has already helped changed our view of the galaxy in unexpected ways, according to its creators.

In all, it catalogues more than 1.5 billion objects, a vast improvement on previous examples. It includes stars and other objects.

Using the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Visible and Infrared Survey Telescope for Astronomy (Vista) telescope, the scientists monitored the central regions of the Milky Way for more than 13 years.

Dante Minniti, an astrophysicist at Universidad Andres Bello in Chile who led the overall project, said: “We made so many discoveries, we have changed the view of our galaxy forever.”

The data covers an area the sky equivalent to 8,600 full moons, and contains about 10 times more objects than a previous map released by the same team back in 2012.

Observing infrared light also enables the telescope to spot very cold objects, which glow at these wavelengths, such as brown dwarfs - failed stars that do not have sustained nuclear fusion, or free-floating planets that do not orbit a star.

The huge infrared map comes in at 500 terabytes of data, making it the largest observational project ever carried out with an ESO telescope.……..

https://www.independent.co.uk/space/galaxy-milky-way-infrared-map-b2619388.html