Nasa have created a dramatic 360 degree portrait of the Milky Way, offering astronomers a new look at the galaxy in which our solar system resides.
Researchers used over two million infrared images taken over the last decade by Nasa’s orbiting Spitzer Space Telescope to create a composite 360 degree image of the galaxy, which can be explored here.
The Spitzer Space Telescope was originally launched in 2003, with an intended lifespan of just 30 months, but continues to be operational, gathering astrophysical data during it heliocentric orbit.
