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Core of the galaxy in high-res

New high-resolution mosaic sharpens understanding of Milky Way’s turbulent center

By Ron Cowen

- More than 2 years ago

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Astronomers have produced the sharpest infrared portrait of the central 300 light-years of the Milky Way, showing details as small as 20 times the length of the solar system.

CENTER OF THE GALAXY This false-color panorama of the central 300 light-years of the Milky Way shows the glow from ionized hydrogen gas and a multitude of young stars.