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Milky Way

The galaxy that contains our Solar System, characterized by its barred spiral structure with multiple spiral arms extending from a central bar.

Source: esa.int

APODs including "Milky Way"

Barnard 228: The Dark Wolf Nebula in Lupus

26/07/2018

Barnard 228: The Dark Wolf Nebula in Lupus
Image Credit: Gabriel Rodrigues Santos / NASA APOD

These dark markings on the sky can just be found in silhouette against a rich, luminous background of stars. Seen toward the southern constellation of Lupus the Wolf, the dusty, obscuring clouds are part of the Lupus Molecular Cloud some 500 light-years distant. Packs of low mass stars are forming within them, from collapsing cores only visible at long infrared wavelengths. Still, colorful stars in Lupus add to this pretty galactic skyscape. It spans about 8 degrees, not far from the central Milky Way.