2.8: Stars and Dust through Baade's Window

There are billions of stars in the direction of the center of the Milky Way. These stars are also billions of years old. Some are almost as old as the Galaxy. Interstellar dust combines with these stars to create this yellowish starscape. Although the dust does not let much visible light through. There is a low density hole in the dust. It is located on the right side of the photo. This area is called Baade's Window, named after the astronomer who studied it. This hole allows scientists to study stars and the internal geometry of the Galaxy.