Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Jan 11, 2005 0:15:32 GMT -6
This is quite exciting.
From Universe Today...
Seeing Into the Heart of the Milky Way
Summary - (Jan 10, 2005) The very heart of the Milky Way is obscured by a thick wall of dust that optical telescopes can't peer through. But astronomers have used the dust-penetrating infrared capabilities of the 6.5 metre Magellan telescope in Chile to look past the wall, and map stars never seen before. Astronomers found thousands of stars jammed into an area only 6 light-years across. The purpose of these observations was to uncover stars which could be orbiting and feeding white dwarfs, neutron stars, or even black holes. These special binary objects are thought to be more common in the crowded centre of the Milky Way.
More here: www.universetoday.com/am/publish/seeing_heart_milky_way.html?1012005
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I often wondered if our galaxy looks like others around us, why was it that since the centers of galaxies seem so bright and crowded, that our night skies don't reflect that.
This explains a lot.
From Universe Today...
Seeing Into the Heart of the Milky Way
Summary - (Jan 10, 2005) The very heart of the Milky Way is obscured by a thick wall of dust that optical telescopes can't peer through. But astronomers have used the dust-penetrating infrared capabilities of the 6.5 metre Magellan telescope in Chile to look past the wall, and map stars never seen before. Astronomers found thousands of stars jammed into an area only 6 light-years across. The purpose of these observations was to uncover stars which could be orbiting and feeding white dwarfs, neutron stars, or even black holes. These special binary objects are thought to be more common in the crowded centre of the Milky Way.
More here: www.universetoday.com/am/publish/seeing_heart_milky_way.html?1012005
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I often wondered if our galaxy looks like others around us, why was it that since the centers of galaxies seem so bright and crowded, that our night skies don't reflect that.
This explains a lot.