How Does The Cmb Picture Work?

[ToraToraTora]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmic_microwave_background
Ok I know it's the whole sky but what's what? there should be 2 hemispheres how is it laid out? I which is the bit where the pole star is for example? I have googled but cannot find an explanation. Thanks

[jim360]

I'm not sure quite how the layout corresponds to our night sky, but along the very centre of the map is where the main part of our galaxy would be. It's been removed from the image of course (shows up in earlier images as a massive intense red band), but knowing where that appears should help get your bearings a bit. Although perhaps not perfectly as it's also supposed to represent the entirety of the night sky from all directions.

Anyway, the point is that the long diameter is oriented with the Milky Way as seen from Earth.

[ToraToraTora]

right thanks jim

[Old_Geezer]

Never really thought about that before. Yes, surely, being in what we will consider the centre of everywhere we can see, it should loop around in all directions. Maybe someone should create a flash animation so folk can drag the direction of view (picture centre) around and zoom in and out of spotty bits :-)