Record-Breaking Infrared Map of the Milky Way Reveals 1.5 Billion Celestial Objects

A team of astronomers has created the most comprehensive infrared map of the Milky Way, showcasing over 1.5 billion celestial objects in unprecedented detail. The map, generated using the European Southern Observatory's (ESO) VISTA telescope, covers the central regions of the galaxy, revealing stars, clusters, and cold objects previously hidden behind thick clouds of gas and dust.

The project, led by Dante Minniti of Universidad Andrés Bello, has been ongoing for over 13 years, amassing 500 terabytes of data. This astronomical feat is the largest ever observational study conducted using an ESO telescope, comprising over 200,000 images and 500 terabytes of data.

"We made so many discoveries, we have changed the view of our Galaxy forever," Minniti said, emphasizing the groundbreaking nature of the project.

Using VISTA’s infrared camera, the team was able to peer through the Milky Way’s dust clouds, observing newborn stars, globular clusters, and even brown dwarfs—failed stars that lack sustained nuclear fusion. The observations also included free-floating planets and hypervelocity stars, which were catapulted from the galaxy's center following encounters with the supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way.

The map, part of the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV) and VVV eXtended (VVVX) surveys, represents the most detailed view yet of the galaxy’s hidden regions. The data has already spawned over 300 scientific papers, and the exploration of the collected information will continue for years to come.

With the VVV and VVVX surveys now complete, the VISTA telescope is set for an upgrade with the 4MOST instrument, while the ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT) will be equipped with MOONS, allowing for even more discoveries. These tools will allow astronomers to analyze the spectra of millions of objects captured in this historic survey, further unraveling the mysteries of our galactic neighborhood.