Space enthusiasts no longer have to rely on science fiction movies or wait for images from the James Webb Space Telescope to explore the deepest corners of the universe. Astronomers from Johns Hopkins University have created a new interactive map that lets you navigate the universe.
Using data collected over 20 years by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the map allows people to experience parts of the universe previously only accessible to scientists.
The map, which can be viewed and downloaded for free, shows the true location and true colors of 200,000 galaxies, each containing billions of stars and planets.
Brice Ménard, architect of the map, professor at Johns Hopkins, said: ‘Growing up, I was very inspired by astronomy images, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it’s time to create a new type of painting to inspire people.
Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years and have produced thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But no one had taken the time to create a beautiful, scientifically accurate map that was accessible to non-scientists. Fortunately it was finally done.
You can find the map of the universe here.