Newly Released Sky Atlas

[Recusant]

I still use Stellarium every once in a while to supplement night sky observation, and the Hubble Skymap can provide some diversion. There's a new kid on the block now. I haven't explored it much yet, but it looks like there's a lot going on. 

"New 'galactic atlas' offers stunning details of 400,000 galaxies near the Milky Way" | Space.com

A new cosmic atlas contains precise details of nearly 400,000 galaxies in the Milky Way's general neighborhood. And, beyond being of immense use for astronomers seeking hard data, the atlas also features beautiful images that are free for the public to access online and get to know our corner of the universe.

Called the Siena Galaxy Atlas (SGA), this digital atlas was created using data from three astronomical surveys collected between 2014 and 2017 at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO) and Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO). Together, those surveys are known as  the DESI Legacy Surveys.

Cosmic atlases of this type help astronomers spot patterns that help categorize new discoveries, such as stars that suddenly flare and then disappear  —  so-called "transients." Plus, such atlases allow astronomers to identify which objects are contenders for detailed follow-up investigations. These databases must also be constantly updated to keep up with those discoveries, especially in the modern age when telescope technologies continue to rapidly improve.

That's where the SGA's merit comes in. This atlas represents peak accuracy, promising to be a gold mine of galactic information for scientists aiming to investigate everything from the births and evolutions of galaxies to the distribution of dark matter and propagation of gravitational waves through space. 

[Continues . . .]

Siena Galaxy Atlas 2020

The Sky Viewer looks like it might be entertaining, while the Gallery has plenty of items already queued up.

[Tank]

Off to explore.