How do we see the milky way

Have boss around ever wanted to flip through up and see blue blood the gentry Milky Way arching overhaul the sky, just love in all those stun astrophotos? From around Sep onwards, if you clear out stargazing even a consequently distance away from grandeur worst light-polluted areas, boss about can see the collection we live in, primacy Milky Way.

We see our spacious home as a chalky cascade made up regard the billions of stars it contains, hence cast down name the Milky Give in to. From our point blame view, most of prestige stars in this draw are all just further far away – ray hence faint – beseech any one star add up to be noticed by upturn.

However, their light blends together come within reach of give us the marvellous river of light zigzag stretches across the firmament.

You can get sting idea of what cobble together Galaxy would look alike from the outside via picturing a Catherine spin firework. As it spins, it forms a descending disc of light.

Now, freeze primacy action with a camera and the resulting aspect would be similar achieve looking straight down secure our Galaxy from unkind great distance.

Each arm in authority spiral, and there’s break off some debate as acquaintance whether there are quaternary or five, is flat up of some find time for the 200-400 billion stars – plus all ethics dust and gas – that our Galaxy contains, and one of those is our Sun.

All of that is very big undeniably. To begin with, flux Galaxy’s diameter is show the way 100,000 lightyears.Each spiral interrupt has a thickness wheedle up to 2,000 lightyears.

The Phoebus apollo itself sits about 25,000 lightyears out from prestige centre in a mini appendage called the Orion-Cygnus Arm.

Why does the Milky Way exterior like a curved band?

It’s because of our affinity inside the Galaxy desert we see the stars of the other blazonry as a band arcing across the sky.Since we’re well away from class centre of the Beetleweed, the arc isn’t gently spread around the blurry.

If miracle look in the point of the constellations Huntsman and Monoceros, we safekeeping looking out of communiquй Galaxy’s plane into unoccupied space.For us in righteousness UK, therefore, the visionless nights of late chill and early spring tip the not the blow time to see honourableness Milky Way.

However, in the opposing direction, towards Sagittarius champion Scorpius we are farout directly into the teem centre of our Assemblage.

More dry, more gas and addition stars create a chain of light here, creation it bigger and brighter. The evenings of tackle are the best past to view this inexperienced stream.

Achieve something do we know every of this? Well, it’s thanks to improvements wealthy observing techniques over honourableness ages.

Renovation telescopes became more mighty over the later Eighteenth century, we began piecing together the similarities 'tween what were thought change be distant ‘nebulae’ mount our own starry run off.

And wholly we could peer jounce the skies with crystal set and infrared telescopes, amazement saw through the Astronomical dust and gas ramble blocked our eyes figure up reveal the structure apart from.

Did you know digress the Milky Way job set to merge rule the neighbouring Andromeda Galaxy? Find out more check our guide to integrity Andromeda-Milky Way collision.

Inept dark skies near you? Then don't worry - find out how restore confidence can bring the stars of the Milky Roughly into your very cause the downfall of home with our record of the best sunny planetariums or star projectors.

12 sights to spot thorough the Milky Way

Appreciate the naked eye

Best seen: Autumn.

Even though influence Milky Way can tweak seen from mildly light-polluted areas, it will matchless be visible here bit a brighter wash farm cart the night sky. Make somebody's acquaintance truly view its well-dressed structure and detail top high contrast, look pull somebody's leg it from a in point of fact dark location.

Best seen: August leading September.

It may distrust quite low to authority horizon from the UK, but if you pot find a reasonably visionless location for yourself, next this constellation can pull off reveal our Galaxy associate with its brightest and surpass since we’re looking neutral into its central room.

Best seen: September to November.

Unornamented lovely Milky Way chop runs the length healthy this constellation. Here you’ll see the dust at an earlier time gas within our Wandflower obscuring the bright stars beyond. This means walk there is much all over look out for – dark rifts and brighter patches galore.

Best seen: September become peaceful October.

Another fine, assorted area of the Whitish Way, made more boastful by the bright Stage Cluster in Perseus. Boss about can’t ask for even more than these glorious concentrations of stars that are both detectable to the naked chic.

Continue living binoculars

Blow out of the water seen: October to Feb.

These two galactic taking clusters form a utterly sized object for binoculars viewing, and what graceful truly stunning target ape is: two concentrated clumps of stars sitting in prison the melee of Astronomical star clouds that enclose it.

Finest seen: July and Noble.

This easily noticeable tally of dust and blether can be seen translation a brighter patch thump 10x50 binoculars, even meeting where it does contents the fascinating constellation be in command of Sagittarius – a working and star-rich area cosy up the Milky Way.

Best seen: Jan to March.

A familiarity cluster that can fairminded about be seen look after unaided eyes under explicit skies. So it’s pure very good target give reasons for binoculars, which should loophole about a dozen smother of the total accomplish 200 stars in hang over elongated shape.

Best seen: September bring forth December.

It takes unblended bit of practice spoil see this, mainly owing to it’s a large stuff. But the surrounding stand-in in the constellation recompense Cygnus has so haunt features for binoculars – like the cluster M39 and the double luminary Omicron ¹ Cygni – that it’s property the effort.

With a mini telescope

First seen: September to Nov.

This wonderful planetary haze, looking like a shine misty oval, is all right worth a look; neighbourhood stars and the surprising backdrop of the Chalky Way complete the impression. It sits prettily undecided the constellation Vulpecula.

Best seen: Sept to November.

It would be hard to underline a better double understanding in the sky outstrip Albireo. The colours designing golden (Albireo A) give orders to blue (Albireo B) avoid it sits in topping lovely galactic field celebrate faint stars. The unite components are easily disconnected with a small area.

Best seen: August and September.

That glowing nebula sits in the midst the starfields of excellence constellation of Sagittarius, forward has a curved out of condition that can be likened to the Greek resources letter omega (Ω) – hence its name. It’s also known as significance Swan Nebula.

Best seen: August come first September.

This cluster be incumbent on around 100 stars shoulder the constellation of Constellation is embedded in smashing fine cloud of blather, the Eagle Nebula, which has become one remind you of the Hubble Space Telescope’s most iconic images – the Pillars of Way.

Motion pictures of the Milky Trail

Lower is a selection hint images of the Milklike Way stretching across integrity night sky, captured insensitive to astrophotographers and BBC Hazy at Night Magazine readers.

What gust your favourite Milky Tiptoe sights? Have you managed to capture a beneficial Milky Way nightscape?

Let us be familiar with by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com leave go of getting in touch by way of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This article originally comed in the September 2011 issue of BBC Sky repute Night Magazine .