The Galactic Center Across the Infrared
The center of our Galaxy is obscured in
visible light by dark dust that rotates
with the stars in the
Galactic Plane.
In this century, however,
sensors have been developed
that can detect light more red that
humans can see - light called
infrared.
The
above picture shows what the
Galactic Center
looks like in three increasingly red bands of
near-infrared light.
The picture results from a digital combination of data
recently taken by the
2MASS and
MSX Galactic surveys.
In near-infrared light (shown in blue) the
dust is less opaque and many previously shrouded
red giant stars become visible.
In the mid-infrared (shown in red) the
dust itself glows brightly,
but allows us a view very close to our tumultuous and mysterious
Galactic Center.