take the picture? (obviously i'm no atronomer i'm just curious how they get these amazing pictures, or are they just artist renderings? also are they accurate?)
2007-04-24 20:36:45 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
http://www.rain.org/campinternet/astronomy/img/milky_way.jpg
2007-04-24 20:36:55 · update #1
To take a picture of our galaxy which would show the length across it from one side to the other, would require traveling a great distance away from it in order to get the full view. Much like realizing that Earth was actually round, once someone was able to get high enough up in the air, could this finally come to realization.
We can however, point down the level plane of the galaxy to observe the stars contained within it, grouped together. Just think of taking an empty plate, looking at it full on as a circle, then rotating it sideways to view it as a thin disk, our galaxy has been photographed in this manner.
A horizontal view of the galaxy.............
http://www.astropix.com/HTML/D_SUM_S/MILKYWAY.HTM
So, just as if we were resting inside of the empty plate, if we peered straight across it to the horizon, we would see what would be the equivalent photographed in the above link.
2007-04-24 21:44:46 · answer #1 · answered by Abstract 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is an actual picture . . . but not of the Milky Way galaxy. There is no way to get such a picture right now of our own galaxy; it would require that we can reach a vantage point thousands if not millions of light years away from the milky way to get an image of the entire galaxy. These are photos of other galaxies; we have no full picture of our entire galaxy. We're in it!
2007-04-24 20:52:20 · answer #2 · answered by dubsconjr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, it is a picture of a galaxy quite similar to our own. Clearly, the picture shows the galaxy at (an incredible) distance. We could not obtain a similar picture of our galaxy as we are in it. Imagine you are in an orchard and want a picture of it; you can take a picture through a slice of the trees, or you can get into a hot air balloon and hover above it to get your picture. Right now, we don't have the equivalent to an "outer space" hot air balloon that can get far enough away from our galaxy to take its picture.
For a picture of a slice of our galaxy see:
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/messier/more/mw.html
2007-04-25 08:03:33 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's the Andromeda galaxy, the only one visible from earth with the naked eye. Its about 2.5 million lightyears away, and about half again bigger than the milky way, with about a trillion stars. Andromeda and the Milky Way are both spiral galaxies, so similar in appearance.
2007-04-24 20:48:32 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is an actual picture, but it's not of our galaxy. That is the Andromeda Galaxy, and you could take a picture of it that looked like that yourself with the right equipment (the right equipment being a modest telescope with a motorised mount, a camera that can take long exposures, and a decent way of mounting the camera to the scope).
2007-04-24 21:30:59 · answer #5 · answered by Jason T 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
That doesn't look like what I remember as a kid. I haven't seen the Milky Way
since. I think it has a lot to do with a planet that is too well lit. In some places
it can still be seen. It is a flowing cluster of stars the most amazing sight that
you have ever seen. Also, seeing the Aurora Borealis is an amazing sight.
Absolutely beautiful both of them!!
2007-04-24 20:47:57 · answer #6 · answered by Garnet 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
These aren't real photos; these are idealized renderings (artist's conceptions or computer simulations) of a spiral galaxy, filling in the parts we've mapped from our local (Solar System) telescopes. You may also see photos of other galaxies, taken from local telescopes. Some of these galaxies are, like the Milky Way, generally well-behaved spiral galaxies.
2007-04-24 20:56:50 · answer #7 · answered by norcekri 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no its not. Its a mapping of all the known objects in the milky way, rendered to look like other spiral galaxies that we can take pictures of
2007-04-24 20:41:04 · answer #8 · answered by priestincamo 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
eelfins is right - that's a picture of M31, the Andromeda galaxy. Try googling for images.
2007-04-24 21:21:45 · answer #9 · answered by Iridflare 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It can be true because there are satellites all over the Milky Way and it can be fake because there are so many artists who can fake it using adobe...I saw the website it does not have any description. Love your question
2007-04-24 21:22:16 · answer #10 · answered by ask me 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋