Infrared observations have led to the discovery of a large number of stars which are too cool to be detected by their visible light or are hidden behind obscuring dust. Infrared observations have also led to the discovery of several stars which have orbiting material. The plane of our Galaxy runs horizontally across the image.
Sources are color coded by their infrared colors.
Blue sources are cool stars within our Galaxy, which show an obvious concentration to the galactic plane and center. Yellow-green sources are galaxies which are basically uniformly distributed across the sky, but show an enhancement along a great circle above the galactic plane. This enhancement is caused by galaxies in the Local Supercluster. Reddish sources, the infrared cirrus, are extremely cold material close to us in our own Galaxy. This star, which is 10 million times more radiant than our Sun, was discovered in the center of our galaxy where it was hidden from visible light telescopes by thick dust.