In the heart of Cygnus, NASA's Fermi reveals a cosmic-ray cocoon
Monday, November 28, 2011 - 18:30
in Astronomy & Space
The constellation Cygnus, now visible in the western sky as twilight deepens after sunset, hosts one of our galaxy's richest-known stellar construction zones. Astronomers viewing the region at visible wavelengths see only hints of this spectacular activity thanks to a veil of nearby dust clouds forming the Great Rift, a dark lane that splits the Milky Way, a faint band of light marking our galaxy's central plane.