Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

Gaia Reconstructs a Side View of our Galaxy

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for May 12, 2025 is “Gaia Reconstructs a Side View of our Galaxy,” an image. It is credited to Illustration Credit: ESA , Gaia , DPAC , Stefan Payne-Wardenaar. The original explanation runs about 140 words.

A dark field of space surrounds a thin but colorful band horizontally across the center. The band is nearly straight but curves at its outer edges. Please see the explanation for more detailed information.
Credit: Illustration Credit: ESA , Gaia , DPAC , Stefan Payne-Wardenaar Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“What does our Milky Way Galaxy look like from the side? Because we are on the inside, humanity can’t get an actual picture.”

— APOD editors, May 12, 2025

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
May 12, 2025
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Illustration Credit: ESA , Gaia , DPAC , Stefan Payne-Wardenaar
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 140 words

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Topics in this entry

The Milky WayGalaxies

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: May 12 in other years

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.