Ever wondered what it might be like to soar through the galaxies?
Wonder no more. A new animated video puts you inside a virtual spaceship for a breathtaking tour of the cosmos.
The "fly through" simulation was created using data from a 3D map of all known galaxies, called the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA), and optical imagery from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Though the images of the galaxies have been enlarged, the distances are to scale.
“Our new catalogue has looked deeper into space and mapped each patch of sky up to ten times to make sure it’s as thorough as possible,” Dr. Aaron Robotham, a University of Western Australia postdoctoral student who works on the GAMA team, said in a written statement.
Enjoy the ride!