DESI Milky Way Survey

When conditions such as the bright moon make it difficult for DESI to observe distant galaxies, the instrument focuses on nearby stars in the Milky Way instead. This video shows the distribution of stars in DESI’s Data Release 1 taken as part of the Milky Way Survey. Redder colors correspond to stars with more iron and, generally, younger ages. DESI is mounted on the U.S. National Science Foundation Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSF NOIRLab.