File:Using Infrared to Survey Our Galaxy’s Far Side (SVS14521 - GalacticPlaneStill).jpg

English: Similar to above video, but with a specific Roman Space Telescope referenceObservatories with smaller views of space have provided exquisite images of other galaxies, revealing complex structures. But studying our own galaxy’s anatomy is surprisingly difficult. The plane of the Milky Way covers such a large area on the sky that studying it in detail can take a very long time. Astronomers also must peer through thick dust that obscures distant starlight. Infrared light can pass through that dust and is a key tool for learning about the far side of our galaxy.The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope's combination of a large field of view, crisp resolution, and the ability to peer through dust make it the ideal instrument to study the Milky Way. And seeing stars in different wavelengths of light – optical and infrared – will help astronomers learn things such as the stars’ temperatures. That one piece of information unlocks much more data, from the star’s evolutionary stage and composition to its luminosity and size.

Roman will offer new insights about the structure of the central region known as the bulge, the “bar” that stretches across it, and the spiral arms that extend from it.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight CenterMusic: "Time Shift Equalibrium" from Universal Production MusicComplete transcript available.