{"id":2019365,"date":"2026-06-30T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-29T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2019365"},"modified":"2026-06-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T21:00:00","slug":"scan-more-than-60-million-stars-in-the-most-detailed-photo-of-the-milky-way-ever-taken","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2019365","title":{"rendered":"Scan More than 60 Million Stars in the Most Detailed Photo of the Milky Way Ever Taken"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content prose-colossal max-w-none\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default entry-header is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-fe9cc265 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"colo-post-featured-image wp-block-post-featured-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2000\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/euclid-5.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"a very detailed photograph of the bulge in the center of the Milky Way galaxy\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">All images courtesy of ESA\/Euclid\/Euclid Consortium\/NASA, CFHT.  Image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre and E. Bertin (CEA Paris-Saclay)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group post-title is-vertical is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-0bc941e6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<h1 class=\"alignfull wp-block-post-title\">Scan More than 60 Million Stars in the Most Detailed Photo of the Milky Way Ever Taken<\/h1>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-meta is-layout-flex wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2026-06-30T11:00:00-05:00\">June 30, 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<div class=\"taxonomy-category wp-block-post-terms\"><a class=\"category-photography\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/photography\/\" rel=\"tag\">Photography<\/a><a class=\"category-science\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/category\/science\/\" rel=\"tag\">Science<\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author-name\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/author\/kmothes\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"wp-block-post-author-name__link\">Kate Mothes<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull post-share-group is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6c531013 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<ul class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing has-visible-labels has-icon-color is-style-logos-only is-layout-flex wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-is-layout-flex\">\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-facebook has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thisiscolossal.com%2F2026%2F06%2Feuropean-space-agency-milky-way-photograph%2F&amp;title=Scan%20More%20than%2060%20Million%20Stars%20in%20the%20Most%20Detailed%20Photo%20of%20the%20Milky%20Way%20Ever%20Taken\" aria-label=\"Share\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tShare\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"color: #1c1e0d\" class=\"outermost-social-sharing-link outermost-social-sharing-link-mail has-crow-color wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/cdn-cgi\/l\/email-protection#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\" aria-label=\"Email\" class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-anchor\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-block-outermost-social-sharing-link-label \"><br \/>\n\t\t\tEmail\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><button class=\"simplefavorite-button preset\" data-postid=\"475478\" data-siteid=\"1\" data-groupid=\"1\" data-favoritecount=\"0\"><i class=\"sf-icon-bookmark\"><\/i>Bookmark<\/button>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In March 2025, the Euclid mission led by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/ESA\">The European Space Agency<\/a> (ESA) enabled scientists to capture the <a href=\"https:\/\/sky.esa.int\/esasky\/?target=268.42%20-29.08&amp;hips=Q2-EGBS-PNG-RGB_HIPS&amp;fov=6.000000000000001&amp;projection=SIN&amp;cooframe=J2000&amp;sci=false&amp;lang=en&amp;euclid_image=Q2-EGBS-PNG-RGB_HIPS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">highest resolution image<\/a> ever taken of the dense, glowing center of the Milky Way galaxy. An enormous swarm of stars forms a bulge at the heart of the spiral, and researchers continue to search amid its billions of stars for exoplanets, or any planet that\u2019s located outside of our solar system.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe galactic bulge\u2014the central region of our galaxy\u2014is a vast, tightly packed structure filled mainly with old, cooler stars, giving it its characteristic yellow colour,\u201d ESA says. The photograph, which is taken with visible light, allows scientists to pinpoint exoplanets and measure their mass by monitoring tiny changes in starlight over time in a process called microlensing.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>ESA\u2019s Euclid image captures more than 60 million stars, plus other phenomena such as nebulae, bright star clusters, and molecular clouds that appear like amorphous, dark splotches in front of the brighter areas. Incidentally, to the human eye, they serve as a visual guide or cue to the incredible depth of field the image has actually captured.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor comparison, Euclid\u2019s sharpness and sensitivity in visible light is similar to the\u00a0NASA\/ESA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/hubble-space-telescope\">Hubble Space Telescope<\/a>\u2019s\u00a0wide field camera,\u201d ESA says. \u201cBut each pointing that Euclid captures in a few hours spans an area 270 times larger than Hubble\u2019s field of view. To observe the same Euclid mosaic, the\u00a0Keck Observatory\u00a0would need around 2,000 hours.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Zoom in on the Galactic Bulge Survey image on <a href=\"https:\/\/sky.esa.int\/esasky\/?target=268.42%20-29.08&amp;hips=Q2-EGBS-PNG-RGB_HIPS&amp;fov=6.000000000000001&amp;projection=SIN&amp;cooframe=J2000&amp;sci=false&amp;lang=en&amp;euclid_image=Q2-EGBS-PNG-RGB_HIPS\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ESASky<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/euclid-2.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475478\" title=\"A molecular cloud in front of a field of stars\" data-rl_title=\"A molecular cloud in front of a field of stars\" data-rl_caption=\"A molecular cloud in front of a field of stars\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/euclid-2.jpg\" alt=\"a tight view of a very detailed photograph of the bulge in the center of the Milky Way galaxy showing a dark molecular cloud\" class=\"wp-image-475480\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A molecular cloud in front of a field of stars<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/euclid-3.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475478\" title=\"A nebula in the Milky Way\u2019s galactic bulge\" data-rl_title=\"A nebula in the Milky Way\u2019s galactic bulge\" data-rl_caption=\"A nebula in the Milky Way\u2019s galactic bulge\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/euclid-3.jpg\" alt=\"a tight view of a very detailed photograph of the bulge in the center of the Milky Way galaxy showing a nebula\" class=\"wp-image-475481\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A nebula in the Milky Way\u2019s galactic bulge<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/euclid-4.jpg\" class=\"swipebox\" data-rel=\"lightbox-gallery-475478\" title=\"A star cluster\" data-rl_title=\"A star cluster\" data-rl_caption=\"A star cluster\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/euclid-4.jpg\" alt=\"a tight view of a very detailed photograph of the bulge in the center of the Milky Way galaxy showing a star cluster\" class=\"wp-image-475482\"><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A star cluster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"after-entry\" role=\"complementary\" aria-label=\"After Entry\">\n<section id=\"block-16\" class=\"widget widget_block widget_text\">\n<p><mark style=\"background-color:#88caf0\" class=\"has-inline-color\"><strong>Do stories and artists 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Image processing by J.-C. Cuillandre and E. Bertin (CEA Paris-Saclay) Scan More than 60 Million Stars in the Most Detailed Photo of the Milky Way Ever Taken June 30, 2026 PhotographyScience Kate Mothes Share Email Bookmark In March 2025, the Euclid mission led by the The European Space [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,270],"class_list":["post-2019365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-thisiscolossal-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2019365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2019365"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2019365\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2019365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2019365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2019365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}