Milky Way Bar

Spitzer_sig05-010a_1024

spitzer_sig05-010a August 16th, 2005

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)

This artist's rendering shows a view of our own Milky Way Galaxy and its central bar as it might appear if viewed from above. An arrow indicates the location of our Sun. Astronomers have concluded for many years that our galaxy harbors a stellar bar, though its presence has been inferred indirectly. Our vantage point within the disk of the galaxy makes it difficult to accurately determine the size and shape of this bar and surrounding spiral arms.

New observations by the GLIMPSE legacy team with NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope indicate that the bar-shaped collection of old stars at the center of our galaxy may be longer, and at a different orientation, than previously believed. The newly-deduced size and angle of the bar are shown relative to our Sun's location. Our Milky Way galaxy may appear to be very different from an ordinary spiral galaxy.

Provider: Spitzer Space Telescope

Image Source: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2353-sig05-010a-Milky-Way-Bar

Curator: Spitzer Space Telescope, Pasadena, CA, USA

Image Use Policy: http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy

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Image Details

Image Type
Artwork
Object Name
Milky Way Galaxy
Subject - Milky Way
Galaxy > Type > Spiral
Galaxy > Type > Barred
Spitzer_sig05-010a_1280
×
ID
sig05-010a
Subject Category
B.5.1.1.   B.5.1.2.  
Subject Name
Milky Way Galaxy
Credits
NASA/JPL-Caltech/R. Hurt (SSC)
Release Date
2005-08-16
Lightyears
Redshift
Reference Url
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/images/2353-sig05-010a-Milky-Way-Bar
Type
Artwork
Image Quality
Good
Distance Notes
Facility
Instrument
Color Assignment
Band
Bandpass
Central Wavelength
Start Time
Integration Time
Dataset ID
Notes
Coordinate Frame
Equinox
Reference Value
Reference Dimension
Reference Pixel
Scale
Rotation
Coordinate System Projection:
Quality
FITS Header
Notes
Creator (Curator)
Spitzer Space Telescope
URL
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu
Name
Spitzer Space Telescope
Email
Telephone
Address
1200 E. California Blvd.
City
Pasadena
State/Province
CA
Postal Code
91125
Country
USA
Rights
http://www.spitzer.caltech.edu/info/18-Image-Use-Policy
Publisher
Spitzer Science Center
Publisher ID
spitzer
Resource ID
sig05-010a.tif
Metadata Date
2012-10-11
Metadata Version
1.1
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Detailed color mapping information coming soon...

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