Milky Way galaxy's dust clouds shown in 3-D map

Atlas extends to over 16,000 light-years from Earth

COSMIC DUST BUNNIES A 3-D map of the plane of the Milky Way shows where dust accumulates (red is the most dust, blue the least). From top to bottom, each panel extends another roughly 3,300 light-years from Earth.

S.E. Sale et al, IPHAS

The ashes of dying stars collect in clumps around the galaxy, as seen in a new three-dimensional map of the Milky Way’s interstellar dust. The map focuses on a nearly 180° view of the plane of the galaxy. The atlas, created from observations using the Isaac Newton Telescope in the Canary Islands, looks out over 16,000 light-years from Earth.

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