Get to know our local galaxies better with this 160-megapixel image from NASA

Axel Mellinger, Central Michigan University

Astronomers at NASA and Pennsylvania State University have been busy lately trying to give you a better insight into the universe, and parts not incredibly far from Earth (er, on a cosmic scale, anyway).

Using NASA’s Swift satellite, astronomers took thousands of images of two local galaxies—the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds—and stitched them all together. The result was a 160-megapixel image that captures details you wouldn’t normally be able to spot.

The team used UV wavelengths to highlight features in the galaxies that you couldn’t see in visible light. Astronomers will use the image to study life cycles of stars.

[NASA via Engadget]

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This story, "Get to know our local galaxies better with this 160-megapixel image from NASA" was originally published by TechHive.