<p>This picture was taken by the <strong>WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer)</strong> space telescope. It is in deed an infrared picture of the entire universe but what you see in this line is our home galaxy, the Milky Way. </p>

<p>This telescope has taken infrared pictures of the entire Universe (as we see from the Earth) and joined them in this <strong>full-sky view</strong>.</p>

<p>More info: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-field_Infrared_Survey_Explorer" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-field_Infrared_Survey_Explorer</a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-19T06:54:33.490Z
2014-08-19T06:54:33.490Z
Joan.bdm
<p>As other people said, what you see in that picture is a mosaic of images, centered in our Galaxy, produced with WISE observations in <a href="http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_infraastro.html" rel="nofollow">infrared light</a>. Astronomers have used a projection method, called Aitoff, to project the spherical sky into a 2-dimensional map.</p>

<p>For a more detailed explanation of the image, please follow this link:</p>

<p><a href="http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_thesky.html" rel="nofollow">http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_thesky.html</a></p>

<p>HTH,</p>

<p>Germán.</p>

<p>PS: Sorry that my reputation doesn't allow me to put more than two links.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-01T19:32:06.873Z
Links about [WISE](http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/mission.html) and [Aitoff projection](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aitoff_projection).
skytux
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-09-01T19:10:57.233Z
2014-09-01T19:10:57.233Z
skytux
<p><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/WISE_full_sky.jpg/1280px-WISE_full_sky.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/WISE_full_sky.jpg/1280px-WISE_full_sky.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a>
(click to enlarge)</p>

<p>How was this picture of the supposed entire universe taken in infrared? Also, why does it seem as though almost all of the matter is in a line formation over the center? It makes sense why most matter would be concentrated in the center, but why is it in a line?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-19T01:11:11.033Z
1) It is not the universe but a Galaxy.
2) You should give a reference.
3) I am not even sure it is in infrared.
You should read carefully the astro-stuff :)
Py-ser
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-20T03:09:59.133Z
Just a note, If it were the universe, it would not make sense for all the matter to be concentrated in the center due to the cosmological principle. There is no distinguished center around which mass would congregate.
John Meacham
<universe><observational-astronomy>
How was an infrared picture of the entire universe taken?
Girthworm
# How was an infrared picture of the entire universe taken?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2014-08-19)

[![enter image description here](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/WISE_full_sky.jpg/1280px-WISE_full_sky.jpg)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d5/WISE_full_sky.jpg/1280px-WISE_full_sky.jpg)
(click to enlarge)

How was this picture of the supposed entire universe taken in infrared? Also, why does it seem as though almost all of the matter is in a line formation over the center? It makes sense why most matter would be concentrated in the center, but why is it in a line?

**Tags:** universe, observational-astronomy

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: 1) It is not the universe but a Galaxy. 2) You should give a reference. 3) I am not even sure it is in infrared. You should read carefully the astro-stuff :)  
> **username_2**: Just a note, If it were the universe, it would not make sense for all the matter to be concentrated in the center due to the cosmological principle. There is no distinguished center around which mass would congregate.  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-08-19. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

This picture was taken by the **WISE (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer)** space telescope. It is in deed an infrared picture of the entire universe but what you see in this line is our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

This telescope has taken infrared pictures of the entire Universe (as we see from the Earth) and joined them in this **full-sky view**.

More info: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide-field_Infrared_Survey_Explorer>


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-09-01. Score: 1

As other people said, what you see in that picture is a mosaic of images, centered in our Galaxy, produced with WISE observations in [infrared light](http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_infraastro.html). Astronomers have used a projection method, called Aitoff, to project the spherical sky into a 2-dimensional map.

For a more detailed explanation of the image, please follow this link:

<http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/gallery_thesky.html>

HTH,

Germán.

PS: Sorry that my reputation doesn't allow me to put more than two links.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: Links about [WISE](http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/mission.html) and [Aitoff projection](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aitoff_projection).  

---

