How is it possible to have photographs of the milky way galaxy?

Question

Since we are in the milky way, surly you would need to send a camera way out there, has it been done?

Answer 1

Many images you see are not pictures of the Milky Way, but instead a galaxy with similar structure to the Milky Way

This is a picture of the Milky Way taken from Earth (in one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way):

http://www.astropix.com/HTML/D_SUM_S/MIL...

This is a picture of the Whirlpool Galaxy.  It has a similar structure to the Milky Way:

http://www.spacetelescope.org/images/scr...

A camera has not been sent outside of the Milky Way in order to take a picture.  This will not be happening any time in the near future.

Answer 2

The earth is near the edge of the Milky Way.  We can point telescopes towards the center and take pictures.  No computer rendering is needed.  In fact, you can see the Milky Way yourself.  Just go to Kitt Peak outside of Tucson, Arizona where they have numerous astronomical telescopes.  When the sun sets, all you have to do is look up.  The Milky

Way is that bright white patch that covers a large area of the sky.  

Answer 3

It's not possible.  What you see are either paintings or computer generated images.

.

Answer 4

They are computer generated images.

We can't take pictures of our galaxy as we are in it and not an observer of it. But by seeing all the other star clusters around our solar system, we can come up with an accurate image of what it must look like.

Think about being sealed in a box, you can see the see the insides of the box but not what the outside of it looks like, but you can imagine what it must look like, this is similar to how images of the milky way galaxy were created. By imagination and mathematics.

Answer 5

If you're inside your house, I assure you you can take photos of your house.

Answer 6

It is an artists' impression.  

Answer 7

I got photos of the milky way and galaxy. And a mars bar. Ooh and some chocolate buttons. YUMMY. They are all down my local sweet shop.

Answer 8

The Hubble  can take pictures  of  it  and beyond. and  there  are satellites all over  the place up there.. So  there  are indeed cameras  up there  that can take  those pictures. Remember  Voyager  and the other deep space probes  were equipped with cameras.  They take thousands  of pictures  and  merge  them together to form what  the actual galaxy looks  like, using highly sophisticated computer programs Math, and physics.

Answer 9

3D rendering/ mapping  and a lot of informed guess work

Answer 10

Right now, it is not possible to take an actual photograph of the entire Milky Way galaxy since we are inside it.  We can do our best to map out the galaxy using 3D rendering, etc.  But until we are able to leave our galaxy, there will be no photos of our galaxy from outside.  

Answer 11

Its as drawing a circle, knowing its radius......

Answer 12

If you are talking about the Milky Way Galaxy as a WHOLE, then no, they are illustrations and guessed-drawings based off facts we have about our solar system. No such pictures have been taken.

EDIT: Iknowalittle, your name on Y!A really does go well with your understanding. I can tell by your answer.

Answer 13

No. It would take many millions of years for our fastest probe to get into position. All the pictures of the whole Milky Way you see are artists conceptions.