A team of scientists from the Galactic Legacy Infrared Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE) project mapped the Milky Way in infrared wavelengths from 3.6 to 8 micrometers. Another galactic-plane survey known as MIPSGAL used the Spitzer Space Telescope to image the Milky Way. They used another infrared wavelength at 24 micrometers that revealed hot dust associated with star-forming regions and supernovae. The images were combined to make a spectacular panorama of the inner Milky Way. The team presented the amazing panorama at the American Astronomical Society meeting in St. Louis, Missouri on June 3rd.

The 180-foot panorama spans 65° of galactic longitude on both sides of the galaxy’s center (located in the direction of Sagittarius (the Archer)) and only a few degrees above and below the plane of the Milky Way. It contains 800,000 images and 4 billion pixels. The panorama spans 13 constellations, from Vulpecula (the Fox) in the Summer Triangle in the northern sky to Centaurus (the Centaur) in the southern sky. It includes an unprecedented view of star formation, supernova remnants, bubbles blown by massive stars, hot and cold dust, and ancient stars.