<p>This image is based on a combined data set from the <a href="https://www.sarao.ac.za/media-releases/new-meerkat-radio-image-reveals-complex-heart-of-the-milky-way/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">MeerKAT</a> radio telescope.  The processing is described in <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.10541" rel="nofollow noreferrer">The 1.28 GHz MeerKAT Galactic Center Mosaic</a>. This paper includes a replica of the image above (with a different palette) along with celestial and galactic coordinates.  I am reproducing the image below.  The direction of the center of the galaxy is located the intersection of the to galactic coordinate lines <span class="math-container">$l=0.0°$</span> and <span class="math-container">$b=0.0°$</span>.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/np32T.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/np32T.png" alt="The 1.28 GHz MeerKAT Galactic Center Mosaic" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-04T01:00:09.217Z
2022-02-04T04:45:27.857Z
2022-02-04T04:45:27.857Z
GrapefruitIsAwesome
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/nmpzi.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nmpzi.jpg" alt="NASA picture of the day February 2 2022" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220202.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">NASA picture of the day February 2 2022</a>.</p>
<p>What is actually the center of the galaxy here? Is it the bright star or something nearby it?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-03T11:42:22.003Z
The text the images comes with says the center of the Galaxy is in the center of the image.
planetmaker
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-02-03T11:56:03.117Z
@planetmaker ikr
exebook
<photography>
What is the actual center of galaxy in this image
exebook
# What is the actual center of galaxy in this image

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-02-03)

[![NASA picture of the day February 2 2022](https://i.sstatic.net/nmpzi.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/nmpzi.jpg)

[NASA picture of the day February 2 2022](https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220202.html).

What is actually the center of the galaxy here? Is it the bright star or something nearby it?

**Tags:** photography

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: The text the images comes with says the center of the Galaxy is in the center of the image.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 ikr  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-02-04. Score: 4 | Accepted answer

This image is based on a combined data set from the [MeerKAT](https://www.sarao.ac.za/media-releases/new-meerkat-radio-image-reveals-complex-heart-of-the-milky-way/) radio telescope. The processing is described in [The 1.28 GHz MeerKAT Galactic Center Mosaic](https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.10541). This paper includes a replica of the image above (with a different palette) along with celestial and galactic coordinates. I am reproducing the image below. The direction of the center of the galaxy is located the intersection of the to galactic coordinate lines $l=0.0°$ and $b=0.0°$.

[![The 1.28 GHz MeerKAT Galactic Center Mosaic](https://i.sstatic.net/np32T.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/np32T.png)


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