COMPTEL Map of the Milky Way at 1.8 MeV
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This COMPTEL map shows the Milky Way at an energy of 1.8 MeV. This is the characteristic energy of the radioactive decay of aluminum 26. This radioactive isotope of aluminum is thought to originate primarily from nucleosynthesis in supernovae. The bright spots represent concentrations of aluminum 26. Because gamma rays at these energies traverse the interstellar medium with negligible absorption, COMPTEL maps at 1.8 MeV provide an efficient way to trace sites of nucleosynthesis in the Galaxy. The image is courtesy of the COMPTEL Collaboration.
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