THE MILKY WAY

As Seen from the Northern Hemisphere

From Jim Kaler's STARS

We live in a disk-shaped Galaxy of some 200 billion stars that we see around us as the broad white band of the Milky Way. Since we are halfway or more out toward the Galaxy's ill-defined edge, the Milky Way varies considerably in brightness from the glorious broad center in Sagittarius to the far dimmer, dusty Anticenter 180 degrees away in Taurus-Auriga.

The Milky Way is inclined to the celestial equator by 63 degrees, crossing it in Monoceros and Aquila-Serpens-Ophiuchus. By remarkable coincidence, the Summer and Winter Solstices in Gemini and Sagittarius are respectively nearly in the same directions as are the Galactic Center and Aniticenter.

Enjoy the view, which is meant to match that more or less seen with the naked eye from mid-northern climes. Follow along with the Constellation Maps.

Two Pathways

South and east of Cassiopeia toward the Anticenter.

• The Milky Way first runs faintly through Perseus past the Alpha Persei cluster.
  • Map 1
  • Map 3
• See it in wide angle through Cassiopeia and Perseus.
  • Map 1
  • Map 3
• Then follow it through to the Anticenter in Auriga.
  • Map 3
• Just south of Auriga, it passes into the dark clouds of neighboring Taurus.
  • Map 3
• Fainter yet, it drifts through the lower part of Gemini
  • Map 3
• Then the Milky Way gets nearly lost as it crosses the celestial equator in Monoceros to the east of Orion.
  • Map 3
  • Map 4
• After which it drops dimly east of Canis Major and into Argo's Puppis and Vela, and out of sight for northerners. From the north, the Milky Way is hidden by Earth's thick atmosphere; to see it properly in these constellations requires a trip to the southern hemisphere.
  • Map 3
  • Map 4
  • Map 6

South and west of Cassiopeia toward the Galaxy's Center

• From Cassiopeia, the Milky Way flows weakly to the west through southern Cepheus, where much of it hidden behind dark clouds.
  • Map 1
  • Map 2
• To the south of Cepheus, it also passes through the modern constellation Lacerta.
  • Map 2
• The Milky Way then massively brightens as it plunges south through Cygnus.
  • Map 2
• To the westof Cygnus, it also passes through part of Lyra,
  • Map 2
  • Map 5
• where it is better seen in an expanded view.
  • Map 2
  • Map 5
• After dividing in Cygnus at the Great Rift, the eastern branch of the Milky Way passes beautifully through Aquila, where it crosses the celestial equator.
  • Map 2
  • Map 5
• A wide-angle view of the setting Summer Triangle shows a broader, more dramatic picture of the Milky Way through Cygnus and Aquila.
  • Map 2
• A similar wide-angle view shows the Milky Way within the rising Summer Triangle.
  • Map 2
• The dimmer western branch is here barely visible in Serpens and Ophiuchus.
  • Map 5
• South of Aquila, the Milky Way brightens into the striking star clouds of Scutum.
  • Map 5
• See it again through Scutum and southern Aquila.
  • Map 2
  • Map 5
• At last, the Milky Way greatly broadens as it enters Sagittarius, its dark clouds hiding the Galaxy's actual center.
  • Map 5
• The western side is glorious through central and southern Scorpius.
  • Map 5
• See it in a broader view in Scutum, Sagittarius, and Scorpius that shows the magnificent dusty rift.
  • Map 5
• See it again in another wide view from southern Aquila through eastern Lupus also features the great rift of dust.
  • Map 5
• To the south of Sagittarius, the Milky Way goes through Corona Australis.
  • Map 5
• The main portion then plunges south of Scorpius and into Ara;
  • Map 5
  • Map 6
• While to the west of Ara, it goes through Norma (and its colorful clouds), and again out of site for northerners.
  • Map 5
  • Map 6

A View from the Southern Hemisphere.

• In the deep south, find it glorious in Triangulum Australe and Circinus.
  • Map 6.

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