192 Gigabytes. One picture. And I thought the 4 GB Andromeda shot was impressive (okay it still is). But this shot of the Milky Way, the largest single astronomical image ever compiled, is truly staggering in its detail. Showing multiple images taken with different filters, the massive compilation is the culmination of a 5-year observing program by the Ruhr-Universität Bochum.
It’s amazing how much detail is shown, as you zoom in across the different features and truly get a sense for the magnitude of our Galaxy, and for the massive population of stars.
I have yet to find a way to download the 194 GB file itself, but rest assured, if I can, I will. You can find the image viewing applet online here: http://gds.astro.rub.de
if you do find a way, let me know please