ESA reports that this image, captured by the Planck spacecraft, is among the first to reveal the shape of the Milky Way's magnetic field.

Adam Rifkin stashed this in Astronomy Pics

<p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://imgur.com/BhCKsY3"><img src="//img.pandawhale.com/post-55374-European-Space-Agency-reports-n3VE.png" alt="European Space Agency reports that this image, captured by the Planck spacecraft, is among the first to reveal the shape of the Milky Way's magnetic field Imgur" /></a></p>

Adam Rifkin
7:04 PM Dec 18 2014

Context:

http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/12/The_magnetic_field_along_the_Galactic_plane

http://esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Planck/Planck_takes_magnetic_fingerprint_of_our_Galaxy

Reddit comments:

http://reddit.com/r/spaceporn/comments/2pprds/the_european_space_agency_reports_that_this_image/

<p>Context:</p> <p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/12/The_magnetic_field_along_the_Galactic_plane">http://www.esa.int/spaceinimages/Images/2014/12/The_magnetic_field_along_the_Galactic_plane</a></p> <p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Planck/Planck_takes_magnetic_fingerprint_of_our_Galaxy">http://esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Science/Planck/Planck_takes_magnetic_fingerprint_of_our_Galaxy</a></p> <p>Reddit comments:</p> <p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://reddit.com/r/spaceporn/comments/2pprds/the_european_space_agency_reports_that_this_image/">http://reddit.com/r/spaceporn/comments/2pprds/the_european_space_agency_reports_that_this_image/</a></p>

Adam Rifkin
7:05 PM Dec 18 2014

Milky Way reference map:

<p>Milky Way reference map:</p> <p><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://tzontonel.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/national-geographic-milky-way-reference-map1.jpg"><img src="//img.pandawhale.com/147911-milky-way-galaxy-reference-map-fmOH.jpeg" alt="milky way galaxy reference map national geographic imgur" /></a></p>

Adam Rifkin
7:06 PM Dec 18 2014