The Milky Way by MeerKAT - Wall Art Rolled Canvas Print

ROLLED CANVAS PRINT

Printed using only high quality inks on gallery grade 280 GSM fine art canvas with a smooth matte finish to ensure a sharp vibrant image. Includes an additional 1.5 inch white border to assist with mounting or framing. Please add a note when ordering if you do not require a border.Orders dispatched the next working day. Estimated UK delivery 1-2 days, international 8-10 working days or less.

The Milky Way by MeerKAT

The Milky Way as captured by the MeerKAT radio telescope is a breath-taking, richly detailed image that reveals the heart of our galaxy in stunning clarity. Unlike optical photographs, this image is created using radio waves, allowing us to peer through the dense clouds of dust and gas that obscure the Galactic Centre in visible light. The result is a vibrant, colourful tapestry of cosmic activity, teeming with intricate structures that tell the story of star birth, death, and the immense forces shaping the galaxy.

At the centre of the image lies Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole around which the entire Milky Way rotates. Though the black hole itself is invisible, its presence is marked by the intense radio emissions of matter spiralling into its grasp. Surrounding this region are filaments of charged particles—long, thread-like structures whose exact origins remain a mystery to astronomers. These filaments stretch for tens of light-years and are thought to be associated with powerful magnetic fields or shockwaves from past supernovae.

The image also reveals a striking amount of turbulence and motion. Swirling clouds of gas and cosmic dust glow in hues assigned to different radio frequencies, each corresponding to different physical processes. This includes areas of intense star formation where young, massive stars are igniting and carving out cavities in the interstellar medium, as well as remnants of ancient stellar explosions that have sent shockwaves rippling through space.

What makes this image especially significant is the scale and sensitivity of MeerKAT’s observations. With its 64 dishes spread across the Karoo region of South Africa, MeerKAT is able to detect incredibly faint radio signals with high resolution. This allows astronomers to construct a more complete and dynamic picture of the Milky Way’s core, offering new insights into galactic evolution, magnetic phenomena, and the behaviour of matter under extreme conditions.rigour

Altogether, The Milky Way by MeerKAT is not just an image—it’s a portal into the complex and energetic engine room of our galaxy. It combines scientific rigor with profound beauty, offering both researchers and the public a fresh, mesmerising view of the cosmos we call home.