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NARRATOR: NASA has captured a new infrared image

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of the center of our Milky Way galaxy,

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revealing details that have never

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been seen before.

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Scientists have tried for many years to peer

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through the dense swirls of dust obscuring

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many of the Milky Way's fascinating features.

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SOFIA, NASA's telescope on an airplane,

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observed our galaxy's center in infrared light,

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which is invisible to human eyes

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but pierces through the dense dust.

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Now, we can see new details in the curves

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surrounding the Arches Cluster, the densest

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concentration of stars in our galaxy.

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Also visible is the Quintuple Cluster, with stars

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that are a million times brighter than our Sun.

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Our galaxy's supermassive black hole takes shape

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with a view of the fiery-looking ring of gas

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surrounding it.

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NASA created the panorama by combining SOFIA's new,

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crisp image with previous data

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from the Herschel and Spitzer space telescopes.

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Scientists will use the image to study previously hidden

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facets of our Milky Way galaxy, including how many

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massive stars are forming here and to set targets

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for telescopes of the future