Galaxy Map
@galaxymap.bsky.social
The first accurate and detailed maps of the Milky Way and ways to promote and visualize them (including VR).
Website: https://kevinjardine.dev
Tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/kevinjardine
Also follow me on @galaxy_map@mastodon.social
Website: https://kevinjardine.dev
Tip jar: https://tiptopjar.com/kevinjardine
Also follow me on @galaxy_map@mastodon.social
If I flip and rotate I get something that looks a little closer to my model. It would be better if the Hubble image was not so cropped but I hope you get the idea. The point is that real galaxies are rarely as tidy as astronomer's models (or artistic images!).
November 21, 2025 at 4:07 PM
If I flip and rotate I get something that looks a little closer to my model. It would be better if the Hubble image was not so cropped but I hope you get the idea. The point is that real galaxies are rarely as tidy as astronomer's models (or artistic images!).
I just found this Hubble image of NGC 685, which also is a bit of a fiddler crab galaxy with a small narrow arm on the left and a sprawling mess on the right.
Add a ring around the bar and you would have something that looks a little like my model.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Lee, F. Belfiore
Add a ring around the bar and you would have something that looks a little like my model.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Lee, F. Belfiore
November 21, 2025 at 3:44 PM
I just found this Hubble image of NGC 685, which also is a bit of a fiddler crab galaxy with a small narrow arm on the left and a sprawling mess on the right.
Add a ring around the bar and you would have something that looks a little like my model.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Lee, F. Belfiore
Add a ring around the bar and you would have something that looks a little like my model.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, J. Lee, F. Belfiore
I've done a revised version of my O-type star poster which uses Bailer-Jones distances where available. This eliminated 7 stars that are now further than 1250 pc but added 11 more.
png: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
png: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
November 20, 2025 at 12:10 PM
I've done a revised version of my O-type star poster which uses Bailer-Jones distances where available. This eliminated 7 stars that are now further than 1250 pc but added 11 more.
png: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
png: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
On the cats. The cat-loving KASC apparently stands for Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium.
November 20, 2025 at 10:04 AM
On the cats. The cat-loving KASC apparently stands for Kepler Asteroseismic Science Consortium.
For reference they are:
CD-45 4447 O7.5V
BD-16 4818 O8.5V
HD 278942 O9.5-B0
HD 37366 O9.5IV
HD 166546 O9.5IV
HD 164816 O9.5V+B0V
V* SZ Cam O9.5Vn
HD 46847 O9.7III
HD 46660 O9V
BD+61 2559 O9V
HD 93683 O9V+B0V
CD-45 4447 O7.5V
BD-16 4818 O8.5V
HD 278942 O9.5-B0
HD 37366 O9.5IV
HD 166546 O9.5IV
HD 164816 O9.5V+B0V
V* SZ Cam O9.5Vn
HD 46847 O9.7III
HD 46660 O9V
BD+61 2559 O9V
HD 93683 O9V+B0V
November 19, 2025 at 4:35 PM
For reference they are:
CD-45 4447 O7.5V
BD-16 4818 O8.5V
HD 278942 O9.5-B0
HD 37366 O9.5IV
HD 166546 O9.5IV
HD 164816 O9.5V+B0V
V* SZ Cam O9.5Vn
HD 46847 O9.7III
HD 46660 O9V
BD+61 2559 O9V
HD 93683 O9V+B0V
CD-45 4447 O7.5V
BD-16 4818 O8.5V
HD 278942 O9.5-B0
HD 37366 O9.5IV
HD 166546 O9.5IV
HD 164816 O9.5V+B0V
V* SZ Cam O9.5Vn
HD 46847 O9.7III
HD 46660 O9V
BD+61 2559 O9V
HD 93683 O9V+B0V
Given all the complex inconsistent evidence we have about the structure of the Milky Way, a simpler model might be best. So I advocate a two arm model with a larger chaotic Perseus arm that includes the local and outer structures, a more coherent Centaurus arm, and a prominent ring around the bar.
November 19, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Given all the complex inconsistent evidence we have about the structure of the Milky Way, a simpler model might be best. So I advocate a two arm model with a larger chaotic Perseus arm that includes the local and outer structures, a more coherent Centaurus arm, and a prominent ring around the bar.
Despite all of the uncertainty, I admit that I have not entirely avoided spiral structure speculation myself. Those who have followed me for a while may have seen my "fiddler crab" model of the Milky Way, which I use as my icon.
November 19, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Despite all of the uncertainty, I admit that I have not entirely avoided spiral structure speculation myself. Those who have followed me for a while may have seen my "fiddler crab" model of the Milky Way, which I use as my icon.
At first glance the density map looks very familiar (galactic core to the right). So perhaps not a lot new but I will take a look.
November 18, 2025 at 2:25 PM
At first glance the density map looks very familiar (galactic core to the right). So perhaps not a lot new but I will take a look.
The jump drive is now installed on the flying saucer so I can use it to take larger tour groups around the Milky Way.
November 18, 2025 at 12:49 PM
The jump drive is now installed on the flying saucer so I can use it to take larger tour groups around the Milky Way.
Inside the flying saucer while viewing Star Central on my mobile phone.
November 17, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Inside the flying saucer while viewing Star Central on my mobile phone.
Boarding area set up for the galactic tours.
November 17, 2025 at 12:38 PM
Boarding area set up for the galactic tours.
Adding a flying saucer to my Star Central VR world to take larger tour groups (up to 15-20 people) around the Milky Way.
November 17, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Adding a flying saucer to my Star Central VR world to take larger tour groups (up to 15-20 people) around the Milky Way.
If you have ever wondered what the interstellar medium looks like in 3D, visit the Star Central VR world and walk around the 3D Local Interstellar Medium display, which shows dust clouds, ionized hydrogen, hot star density and star clusters out to 500 parsecs.
horizon.meta.com/world/775774...
horizon.meta.com/world/775774...
November 16, 2025 at 11:11 AM
If you have ever wondered what the interstellar medium looks like in 3D, visit the Star Central VR world and walk around the 3D Local Interstellar Medium display, which shows dust clouds, ionized hydrogen, hot star density and star clusters out to 500 parsecs.
horizon.meta.com/world/775774...
horizon.meta.com/world/775774...
I've continued to add improvements to the O-type star map. Just added a line to highlight the interarm gap. The spiral structure is not very clear in Gaia but at least there is a clear gap between the local and inner galaxy.
png file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
png file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
November 16, 2025 at 10:23 AM
I've continued to add improvements to the O-type star map. Just added a line to highlight the interarm gap. The spiral structure is not very clear in Gaia but at least there is a clear gap between the local and inner galaxy.
png file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
png file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
Added an upper deck to make it easier to see the top of the poster because anything is possible in VR, so ... why not?
November 15, 2025 at 2:38 PM
Added an upper deck to make it easier to see the top of the poster because anything is possible in VR, so ... why not?
The O-type star map is now in the cartography room in my Star Central VR world.
November 15, 2025 at 2:07 PM
The O-type star map is now in the cartography room in my Star Central VR world.
I've created a new map of all known O-type stars out to 1250 parsecs. These extremely rare and ultra hot stars play an important role in ionizing hydrogen gas and reshaping dust clouds across the Milky Way.
png file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
png file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
November 15, 2025 at 10:35 AM
I've created a new map of all known O-type stars out to 1250 parsecs. These extremely rare and ultra hot stars play an important role in ionizing hydrogen gas and reshaping dust clouds across the Milky Way.
png file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
png file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
pdf file: gruze.org/ha_grid/o_st...
Overall I'm happy with the new ionized hydrogen density grid but I am suspicious of all the ionized hydrogen gas it shows in the interarm gap between the local arm and the inner galaxy. What could be ionizing that?
November 14, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Overall I'm happy with the new ionized hydrogen density grid but I am suspicious of all the ionized hydrogen gas it shows in the interarm gap between the local arm and the inner galaxy. What could be ionizing that?
Latest version. Unless someone points out errors, I just need to add a title and a legend.
November 14, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Latest version. Unless someone points out errors, I just need to add a title and a legend.
Cone nebula image. Credit: Adam Block, Wikimedia Commons.
November 14, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Cone nebula image. Credit: Adam Block, Wikimedia Commons.
Improved version with a few more labels. I named some of the dust bubbles. I'm pretty sure that the terms Vela shell and California shell are already in use. I made up the terms for Cygnus shell and Cepheus shell. Please tell me if these regions already have names.
November 14, 2025 at 12:06 PM
Improved version with a few more labels. I named some of the dust bubbles. I'm pretty sure that the terms Vela shell and California shell are already in use. I made up the terms for Cygnus shell and Cepheus shell. Please tell me if these regions already have names.
I am working on an O-type star map. The detailed Edenhofer dust clouds and this year the new ionized hydrogen grid allows for more detailed and realistic maps so I tried a different style for this map. Comments welcome.
November 14, 2025 at 11:17 AM
I am working on an O-type star map. The detailed Edenhofer dust clouds and this year the new ionized hydrogen grid allows for more detailed and realistic maps so I tried a different style for this map. Comments welcome.
There are now 28 people signed up for my Naos VR tour tomorrow. Very exciting to see the interest although this is more than my world can actually handle at once. I am hoping that I can ask some people to come back in an hour for a second tour.
November 10, 2025 at 9:14 AM
There are now 28 people signed up for my Naos VR tour tomorrow. Very exciting to see the interest although this is more than my world can actually handle at once. I am hoping that I can ask some people to come back in an hour for a second tour.