Comments on: AAS 3: Incredible map of Milky Way

By: Bild des Zentrums der Milchstraße bei physikBlog

Bild des Zentrums der Milchstraße bei physikBlog — Sat, 09 May 2009 16:16:34 +0000

[...] meinem Feedreader gefunden, die ich anscheinend irgendwann einmal benutzt habe. U.A. war dort ein Blogartikel von Bad Astronomy [...]

By: Interesting stuff for the 2009 silly season « The Outer Hoard

Interesting stuff for the 2009 silly season « The Outer Hoard — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:19:02 +0000

[...] There is also a lovely new infrared map of our galaxy’s centre. [...]

By: Alternating Reality Bookstore » Death by Black Hole

Alternating Reality Bookstore » Death by Black Hole — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:06:19 +0000

[...] AAS 3: Incredible map of Milky Way [...]

By: Wednesday Morning Links: That Sandwich Isn’t Boring — You’re Boring! at ICED BORSCHT & Other Delights

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 13:50:00 +0000

[...] The Milky Way in All Its Glory [...]

By: space cadet

space cadet — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:49:30 +0000

‘Lurking in this image, far too small to be seen, is the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy.’ I understand we can’t see it, but where is it? Is it at the tip of the aforementioned rabbit’s ear? Is it up in the left hand corner? Smack dab in the middle? Anybody out there know?

As for 200 billion stars being a hard number to grasp, we here in the US of A can just think of them as dollars and compare them with what we’re spending to save our failed banking industury. Only 200 billion stars? Huh!

(Ouch)

By: Nueva Imagen del Centro de la Via Lactea « Ungaman’s Free Blog

Nueva Imagen del Centro de la Via Lactea « Ungaman’s Free Blog — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 23:07:09 +0000

[...] de Bad Astronomy y The Hubble [...]

By: Mchl

Mchl — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:49:00 +0000

Does anyone else see Martians in blue bodysuits here?

Pure awesomeness! You think I could pick up some girls with this picture?

By: Law Mom

Law Mom — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:40:55 +0000

Love this picture. I have to share…

Occasionally we drive to Phoenix on US 93, which runs through the Arizona desert for over 100 miles between towns, so there is zero light pollution and virtually no humidity, and we always pull over to look at the stars. Just last week we did this again, and sheer number of visible stars and the band of the Milky Way were just breathtaking. My kids were absolutely thrilled, poor things having seen the star-filled sky only a handful of times.

By: Mapa del centro de la Vía Láctea « Pasa la vida

Mapa del centro de la Vía Láctea « Pasa la vida — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 18:28:54 +0000

[...] Vía Bad Astronomer [...]

By: Victor Bogado

Victor Bogado — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:09:01 +0000

Even if the blackhole is invisible he’s direction is in the image, isn’t? I would guess that, paradoxically, he would be in the large white blob on the right where the density of stars seems to grow, am I right? (be kind I am not an astronomer, not even an amateur)

By: Annie M

Annie M — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 08:33:47 +0000

Ack,

You’ve gone and hurt my brain again! Damn you Phil Plait! Damn you to heck!

Srsly, what a beautiful picture. Just when I think I have the ginormity of the galaxy pegged, I see another one of these spectacular images.

I wonder though, is it just me that gets so totally MOVED by pictures like this? I mean inwardly bounce of the walls in excitement, but outwardly just a goofy smile?

I am so grateful that we live in a time when we are fortunate to see such images.

By: ctcoker

ctcoker — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:21:17 +0000

The bubble you mention may be a shell of gas ejected from the star; the rather obvious bits of nebula and star in the middle of the closeup are the Pistol Star and associated Nebula, which formed that way.

By: ccpetersen

ccpetersen — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 06:14:45 +0000

You should see this thing up close and personal. They’ve printed it out and put it up in the exhibit hall and it’s like 100 feet long… very, very, very pretty!

yeah, I”m here and blogging it too… and we MISS you Phil!!!

By: egbert

egbert — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 05:11:00 +0000

er… I think you have the picture upside down

By: Lousy Canuck » You are here

Lousy Canuck » You are here — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 04:25:49 +0000

[...] BadAstronomy has linked to the Hubble astronomers’ latest released image, being specifically an incredible map of our galaxy. You will need highspeed to appreciate [...]

By: Logan

Logan — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:54:00 +0000

On the bottom right side of the large image, there is a bright area; what is it?

By: Suburban Guerrilla » Blog Archive » Milky Way

Suburban Guerrilla » Blog Archive » Milky Way — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 03:05:06 +0000

[...] Wow. [...]

By: Shane

Shane — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 00:56:34 +0000

My god… it’s full of stars.

By: pooprscooper

pooprscooper — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:31:17 +0000

AstronomyCast is streaming the AAS meeting in Long Beach live right now: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/astronomy-cast-live-%3A-press-conference-coverage
Maybe Phil Plait will be there?

By: Kristin C

Kristin C — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:20:55 +0000

NICE. How can I not wallpaper this.

*downloads the ginormous resolution one*

By: DrFlimmer

DrFlimmer — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:15:36 +0000

Awesome, absolutely!

By: DaveS

DaveS — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:05:38 +0000

Even if the sub-pixel supermassive black hole can’t be directly seen, surely the effects of it should be visible on a light-year scale, right? I mean, if a *star* can scavenge the gas from an area, surely a black hole with (thousands, millions?) times the mass should have even more effect, right?

By: God is a jackrabbit « Meng Bomin

God is a jackrabbit « Meng Bomin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:02:55 +0000

[...] tip to Phil Plait at Bad Astronomy for the [...]

By: Andrew Skegg

Andrew Skegg — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:56:09 +0000

This is just incredible.

By: firemancarl

firemancarl — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:53:32 +0000

Are the stars in these pictures too close to the galactic core to have life sustaining planets near by?