A view of our Milky Way galaxy (from our position inside
the disk, of course), obtained by the
DIRBE
(Diffuse Infrared Background
Experiment) instrument on NASA's
COBE
(Cosmic Background Explorer) satellite. This infrared image allows us
to see through obscuring dust clouds, revealing a more accurate view
than is possible using visible light.
From Ned Wright's page of
DIRBE
images.