Explanation:
With a 3.5 meter diameter mirror, larger than the Hubble Space
Telescope, ESA's
Herschel Space
Observatory explores the Universe at infrared wavelengths.
Herschel is named for
German-born British astronomer Frederick William
Herschel who
discovered infrared light
over 200 years ago.
Herschel's sensitive cameras
have combined to deliver
this spectacular skyscape
looking toward the constellation of the
Southern Cross.
Spanning some 2 degrees the premier, false-color,
far-infrared view captures our galaxy's cold
dust clouds
in extreme detail, showing a remarkable,
connected maze of filaments and
star-forming regions.
Such observations are intended to
unravel mysteries of star formation by surveying broad areas of the
galactic plane.
