= Galactic multiwavelength astronomy
Galactic multiwavelength astronomy compares observations of the <Milky Way> in different parts of the <electromagnetic spectrum> to distinguish its overlapping physical components. The <neutral-hydrogen 21-centimeter line> traces neutral atomic <gas>, <carbon monoxide> <spectral lines> trace <molecular clouds>, and <infrared> emission reveals warm <interstellar dust> and <stars> hidden at visible <wavelengths>. <Radio waves> from <synchrotron radiation> trace energetic <electrons> in <magnetic fields>, while <X-rays> reveal hot <plasma> and compact sources. Maps of the same sky region can therefore test whether a feature is a stellar concentration, an obscuring cloud or shocked <gas>. Comparing them also requires attention to differing <angular resolution> and foreground <absorption>.<Multiwavelength Milky Way by NASA>[Map descriptions: atomic hydrogen, molecular hydrogen, infrared, radio continuum and X-ray images]{ref}
Back to article page
