Milky Way

Keck Photo Gallery | Milky Way

 

A false-color image of the Mira star system. - Keck/Gemini/HST/Caltech Mira 2007 Ireland
The orbits of young stars around the supermassive black hole at the center of our Galaxy. - UCLA Galactic Center Group/WMKO Close Sagittarius A*
This graphic shows data from the Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph, one of Keck’s most sensitive instruments. It shows the spectrum, or un - WMKO Spectra
Infrared image of the dusty brown dwarf binary HD 130948 in orbit around a Sun-like star obtained with Keck II’s adaptive optics system. - Trent Dupuy and Michael Liu, IfA/UH Brown dwarf binary HD130948
The dim glow of the binary brown dwarf system CFBDSIR 1458+10, as seen in the H-band (1.6 microns) by the Keck II Telescope’s powerful Laser - Michael Liu (IfA/Hawaii), W.M. Keck Observatory Brown Dwarf Duo
Artist concept of the RS Ophiuchi binary system shortly after a white dwarf (right) has exploded as a nova. Scientists have detected dust in the system, depicted here as spiral dust lanes. - Casey Reed Artist concept
This artist’s concept shows four of the five planets that orbit 55 Cancri, a star much like our own. - NASA/JPL-Caltech 55 Cancri
Artist illustration of a protoplanetary disk. Astronomers using the Keck II telescope found the first evidence of organic molecules in the inner regions of a protoplanetary disk where planets, and maybe life, might someday form. - NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle (SSC) Protoplanetary Disk
A scintillating square-shaped nebula nestled in the vast sea of stars. Combining infrared data from the Hale Telescope at Palomar Observatory and the Keck II telescope, researchers characterized the remarkably symmetrical “Red Square” nebula as a central star (MWC 922) illuminating twin cones of outflowing gas. - Peter TuthillPalomarKeck Red Square Nebula
This Protoplanetary nebula is reflecting light from a dying star that is shedding its outer layers in the final stages of its life. - W.M. Keck Observatory EGG NEBULA
A high resolution mid-infrared picture taken of the center of our Milky Way galaxy reveals details about dust swirling into the black hole that dominates the region. - Dr. Mark Morris (UCLA) Keck II, Mirlen instrument Galaxy Center with Merlin
This high-resolution, false-color image of the dying star IRAS16342-3814 is a combination of three images, one taken with the HST (shown in blue) at visible wavelength (0.6 µm) and two taken with Keck AO in the near-infrared at 2.1 µm (shown in green) and 3.8 µm (shown in red). - David Le Mignant (W. M. Keck Observatory) Iras 16342-3814
Keck adaptive optics image of a complex hierarchical star system. - W. M. Keck Observatory and Lowell Observatory Binary 2007 Prato
This composite near-infrared was taken with the Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics System. Field of View is 3 PROTOPLANETARY NEBULAE
Keck II adaptive optics image of a Sun-like star (15 Sge) and its brown dwarf companion. This image suggests brown dwarfs orbit Sun-like stars at distances comparable to the outer gas planets in our own solar system. - UH-IfA/W. M. Keck Observatory 15 Sge and Companion
Keck II images of the edge-on dust disk around the star AU Microscopii. The disk shows evidence of planet formation and the image image is about 100 Astronomical Units wide, about the size of our solar system. The black mask blocks out the inner 15 AU in radius and the optical artifacts from the bright central star. - UH-IfA/W. M. Keck Observatory AU Microscopi
Narrow-field image of the Galactic Center. The arrow marks the location of radio source Sge A*, a supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy. - W. M. Keck Observatory/UCLA Galactic Center
This composite near-infrared was taken with the Keck Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics System. Field of View is 2 PROTOPLANETARY NEBULAE