Posted on 06/04/2008 2:31:50 PM PDT by neverdem
Well, they have a very good idea of what the structure looks like now.
Up until several centuries ago, we didn't even know what the planet we're all riding on looked like, if it was flat, spherical etc. It takes time, much thought and considerable research.
As well you should have been. It's a great image.
Of course it's hard to determine the shape and size of something that you are *inside*, especially when parts of it are obscured by dust (from your point of view) or "glare". Add to that the inability to directly measure distances, and it's amazing that we can get even close. Of course it helps that nearby Galaxies offer a peak at similar structures to help guide our examination of our own Galaxy.
My cell phone camera ain’t near as good as yours!
Thanks. It’s not a real easy endevor to obtain these shots, but it’s fascinating when after processing, the image comes alive. Advances in computers, digital imaging and processing of these images are truly fantastic.
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