Astronomers have published the most detailed infrared map of our Milky Way galaxy, capturing over 1.5 billion celestial objects and revealing unprecedented insights into the hidden wonders of our cosmic home.
A Monumental Feat of Observation
The map is the end product of more than 13 years of work, observing the centre of our galaxy. At 1.2 petabytes (1.2 million gigabytes) in size, ENVI Mass is the largest dataset of its kind to be released by Galen and his team–a whopping 10 times larger than their previous map, which like their new one covered a sky area equal to 8,600 full moons worth of data.
The mammoth effort, requiring 420 observing nights, presents astronomers with an unprecedented view into the heart of our galaxy where dust and gas have so far blocked our vision. The researchers have been able not only to pinpoint the positions of these celestial bodies but also to follow them as they move and change in total luminosity.
Peeling Back the Layers of Our Galaxy
This revolutionary endeavor has been made possible through the use of an infrared camera able to see beyond the shroud of cosmic dust and gas that fills our galaxy, known as VIRCAM on VISTA telescope. In doing so they have uncovered a trove of previously obscured astrophysical sights: burgeoning baby stars, crowding globular clusters, declarative brown dwarfs, and — most alluringly of all — rogue planets adrift in the darkness between the stars.
In addition to yielding an unparalleled 3D window into the central parts of our own Galaxy, this has turned out to be a gold mine of fascinating insights into the dynamics of our own galactic home. In particular, they have discovered hypervelocity stars — offering new insights into the extreme processes at play in the vicinity of a supermassive black hole within our Milky Way.
Conclusion
Thus, marking a huge milestone in astronomy, especially the study of this galaxy through infrared. This project has greatly advanced our ability to reveal the concealed riches of our galaxy and enabled us to improve comprehension of the intricate and dynamic systems for evolving the Universe. As we learn more from the data collected in this monumental undertaking, astronomers are set to unearth additional secrets about all these objects that surround us in our galaxy, opening up a world of discoveries.
