The Frothy Milky Way
Explanation:
Astronomers have recently discovered that looking at dust along
the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy
is a bit like looking into a frothy glass of beer.
The dust between stars
in our galaxy is arranged
like a foam with bubbles and voids -- apparently churned by
shocks and winds generated
as stars cycle through their lives.
This processed
infrared image, based on
data from NASA's IRAS satellite, maps the radiation from
the edges of galactic dust clouds and reveals the complex distribution.
The image covers an area of about 40x60 degrees centered on the
galactic plane near
the Cygnus region.
It shows bright
bubble-shaped
and arc-like dust clouds around the
supernova remnants and
starbirth regions embedded in the galactic disk.
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.
