Click here for all the details.
Click on the picture above to "entelescopinate" as Phil would say.
For a truly lovely thrill ride of an exploration, click on Chromoscope, here, to examine that picture at various wavelengths from gamma rays to radio.
OK, I can die happy now (because I've seen it all ... literally). :-)
I wish to point out that in spite of that which which dominates that photograph, the MOST important part is what you see in the Northwest quadrant, and the South.
ReplyDeleteEventually, our "galaxy" will be removed, in 2-3 years, and that which remains behind, will be revealed.
What will remain, is what there is in the NW and S.
Big hint!
Possibly some surprises? we'll see.
This is the THIRD of three VERY important probes, to discover the Cosmic Background Radiation, first discovered by Robert Wilson of Princeton University, and Arno Penzias (the only Nobel Prize winner I've met) of Bell Labs, at Bell Labs-Holmdel, in the 1960's.
Specifically, and with links:
COBE - launched Nov. 1989
WMAP - launched June, 2001
Planck - launched May 2009
And it is SO cool that Planck has delivered, here in 2010.
THANK you European Space Agency dudes, wherever you are, from a very grateful U.S. of A. You rule.