The Summer Milky Way

Clear summer nights in the northern hemisphere offer a view in the direction of the center of our home galaxy, the Milky Way. The galaxy’s center is about 26,000 light years away and is partially obscured by dark lanes of dust and glowing interstellar gas. The Milky Way contains more than 200 billion stars. Here we see a wide-angle view of the galaxy setting over a hillside in New Mexico.