Thismajestic imageof the cosmos would not be out of place on the rampart of an art veranda . But this is n’t the work of a talented catamount , or even a human photographer , it was really take by a satellite high up above Earth . Talk about an unfair vantage .
It was created using data from thePlancksatellite , which takes images of the universe in light waves that are n’t in the ocular range . alternatively , Planck looks at longsighted wavelengths of light : the microwave and infrared chain . The swirl patterns over the simulacrum represent the magnetic field lines from the galaxies .
The large red and orangish blob in the center of the image is theLarge Magellanic Cloud , 160,000 scant - old age off . The triangular spotlight near the bottom leave corner of the image is theSmall Magellanic Cloud , which is 200,000 light - geezerhood away . Because the Planck satellite takes photographs in such a sensitive range of the light spectrum , these close - by galaxies can distract it from its on-key purpose : snap the oldest light in the universe .
But its sensitiveness mean that the satellite also images just about everything in between itself and the edge of the observable universe . Scientists need to even out for this to study theCosmic Microwave Background(CMB ) radiation , but these images are also fantastic for regain out more about foreground object , like the Magellanic Clouds . It can also reveal arcanum of thing like star formation .
For model , interstellar junk can be seen as the red , orangish sweep of clouds at the top of this image . This is fuel for a headliner - forming area in the sky , within the Chameleon constellation .
A curious , orange strand can also be seen protrude from the Chameleon constellation in the top left , extending to the bottom right hand of the persona . This " tail " is really quite close to us ( in cosmological term ) at 300,000 light - geezerhood aside , and it ’s interesting to see how beautifully the filament is line up with the galaxy ’s magnetized flying field .
The Magellanic Clouds and an interstellar filament . ESA and the Planck Collaboration .
