Milky Way galaxy, WISE infrared image. The Milky Way runs horizontally across centre in this Aitoff projection from NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). The colours show wavelengths of infrared light. Blue represents 3.4-micron light emitted from stars and galaxies. Green and red represent 12-micron and 2-micron light from dust nebulae. The centre of the galaxy contains a large number of stars (blue), while the outer arms are dominated by dust lanes (green). The Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (satellite galaxies) are at lower right. Image published in 2012.