A 13-year survey conducted by the VISTA telescope has resulted in the creation of the most detailed Milky Way map ever. It contains a stunning 1.5 billion objects.

This collage highlights a small selection of regions of the Milky Way imaged as part of the most detailed infrared map ever of our galaxy. Here we see, from left to right and top

Astronomers have published a gigantic infrared map of the Milky Way containing more than 1.5 billion objects―the most detailed one ever made. Using the European Southern Observatory's VISTA telescope,

Observations were made for 13 years, resulting in a data set of 500 terabytes. The mega-project has now come to an end. But only for the time being.

Astronomers at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) have created the most detailed infrared map of the Milky Way ever made, revealing more than 1.5 billion cosmic objects. Using the VISTA telescope, located at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile, this unprecedented survey has reshaped our understanding of our galaxy’s structure.

Astronomers have published a gigantic map of the Milky Way, unveiling discoveries that have changed their view of the galaxy “forever”. The infrared map contains more than 1.5 billion objects, including newborn stars, making it the most detailed one ever made.