Astronomy Picture of the Day
    


Billows of Smog in the Outer Galaxy
<< Yesterday 15.01.2001 Tomorrow >>
Billows of Smog in the Outer Galaxy
Credit & Copyright: Chris Brunt & Jerran Ontkean (DRAO, NRC Canada)
Explanation: Our Galaxy is filled with gas. Most of this gas is hydrogen, some is helium, but there is a trace amount of relatively heavy molecules, including carbon monoxide (CO) - a component of smog. The above wide-angle radio CO image shows the incredibly diverse structures that the molecular interstellar medium forms. Dense clouds show where stars may be forming and open voids may indicate the action of strong winds from massive, recently formed stars. This FCRAO Outer Galaxy Survey was recently re-processed at the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory for inclusion in the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey, an international effort to map all constituents of the interstellar medium over large scales at high angular resolution.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 < January 2001  >
Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa Su
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
293031



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.

Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

Publications with keywords: CO2 - interstellar medium - outer Galaxy
Publications with words: CO2 - interstellar medium - outer Galaxy
See also:
All publications on this topic >>