Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                 2025 May 13
    [2]A dark field surrounds a spiral galaxy with multiple arms. Please
             see the explanation for more detailed information.

                 Gaia Reconstructs a Top View of our Galaxy
         Illustration [3]Credit: [4]ESA, [5]Gaia, [6]DPAC, [7]Stefan
                               Payne-Wardenaar

   Explanation: What does our [8]Milky Way Galaxy look like from the top?
   Because we are on the [9]inside, humanity can’t get an actual picture.
   Recently, however, just such a map has been made using location data
   for over a billion stars from ESA’s [10]Gaia mission. The resulting
   [11]featured illustration shows that just like [12]many [13]other
   [14]spiral [15]galaxies, our Milky Way has distinct spiral arms.
   [16]Our Sun and most of the bright stars we see at night are in just
   one arm: [17]Orion. Gaia data bolsters previous indications that our
   Milky Way has more than two [18]spiral arms. Our [19]Galaxy's center
   sports a [20]prominent bar. The colors of our Galaxy's [21]thin disk
   derive mostly from dark [22]dust, [23]bright blue stars, and [24]red
   emission nebula. Although data analysis is ongoing, [25]Gaia was
   deactivated in March after a succession mission.

              Jigsaw Challenge: [26]Astronomy Puzzle of the Day
                      Tomorrow's picture: big space egg
     __________________________________________________________________

      [27]< | [28]Archive | [29]Submissions | [30]Index | [31]Search |
   [32]Calendar | [33]RSS | [34]Education | [35]About APOD | [36]Discuss |
                                    [37]>
     __________________________________________________________________

    Authors & editors: [38]Robert Nemiroff ([39]MTU) & [40]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([41]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [42]Specific rights apply.
            [43]NASA Web Privacy, [44]Accessibility, [45]Notices;
                A service of: [46]ASD at [47]NASA / [48]GSFC,
                         [49]NASA Science Activation
                           & [50]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2505/MilkyWayTop_Gaia_2100.jpg
   3. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/igo/
   4. https://www.esa.int/
   5. https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Gaia
   6. https://www.cosmos.esa.int/web/gaia/dpac
   7. https://bsky.app/profile/stefanpw.bsky.social
   8. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/the-milky-way-galaxy/
   9. https://www.reddit.com/r/aww/comments/104vf2/so_my_cat_likes_to_look_out_the_window/#lightbox
  10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia_(spacecraft)
  11. https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/01/The_best_Milky_Way_map_by_Gaia_edge-on
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241226.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240206.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap240101.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011004.html
  16. https://science.nasa.gov/sun/
  17. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Arm
  18. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way#Spiral_arms
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241124.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050825.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250512.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100322.html
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241209.html
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap241104.html
  25. https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/Farewell_Gaia!_Spacecraft_operations_come_to_an_end
  26. https://www.scigames.org/apps/webjigsaw2/index.php
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250512.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  31. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  33. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  35. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  36. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=250513
  37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap250514.html
  38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  39. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  40. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  41. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  42. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  43. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  46. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  47. https://www.nasa.gov/
  48. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  49. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  50. http://www.mtu.edu/