September 17, 2003
Every year, the Earth returns to the same point in its orbit where it was when you were born.
The 2MASS Galaxy Sky
Birthday · September 17, 2003
A little universe, just for you
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APOD published September 17, 2003. Credit: 2MASS, T. H. Jarrett, J. Carpenter, & R. Hurt. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Are the nearest galaxies distributed randomly? A plot of over one million of the brightest "extended sources" detected by the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) shows that they are not. The vast majority of these infrared extended sources are galaxies. Visible above is an incredible tapestry of structure that provides limits on how the universe formed and evolved. Many galaxies are gravitationally bound together to form clusters, which themselves are loosely bound into superclusters, which in turn are sometimes seen to align over even larger scale structures. In contrast, very bright stars inside our own Milky Way Galaxy cause the vertical blue sash.
Image credit: 2MASS, T. H. Jarrett, J. Carpenter, & R. Hurt