Learn About the Milky Way (11-01-2012)
The word galaxy comes from the Greek word meaning "milky circle" or the more familiar Milky Way.

Sgr A* in 60 Seconds (02-09-2012)
Over several years, astronomers have noticed flares in X-ray light from the black hole at the center of the Milky Way.

Sagittarius A* in 60 Seconds (01-21-2010)
Astronomers have long known that the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy is a particularly poor eater.

Multiwavelength Galactic Center in 60 Seconds (11-23-2009)
This never-before-seen view of the turbulent heart of our Milky Way combines a near-infrared view from Hubble, an infrared image from Spitzer, and X-ray data from Chandra.

Galactic Center in 60 Seconds (09-22-2009)
This image from the Chandra X-ray Observatory reveals a wealth of exotic objects and high-energy features at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.

Galactic Ridge in 60 Seconds (05-29-2009)
This sequence begins with an infrared view from the Spitzer Space Telescope of the central region of the Milky Way.

Peering into the Heart of the Milky Way (08-31-2006)
Humanity has long sought to learn about the Milky Way, our home galaxy. Even after the advent of optical telescopes, the Milky Way's center remained mysterious because gas and dust blocks most visible light along our line of sight. Fortunately, X-ray telescopes like Chandra can detect higher-energy radiation that penetrates this veil of galactic debris.