7 images show how our view of the Milky Way has evolved

7. This panorama was created from images taken in 1984 and 1985 at observatories on separate sides of the globe: one in Chile and the other in the Canary Islands.

6. In 1986, telescopes on the ground captured Halley’s Comet with the Milky Way as a stunning backdrop.

5. This is a composite of infrared images of the galaxy taken between 1997 and 2001 — one of the most vibrant captures at the time.

4. NASA released this stunning image from the Spitzer Space Telescope in 2006. Infrared cameras cut through the Milky Way’s dust to capture vibrant colors.

3. Later on, the Spitzer Space Telescope captured a panorama of the Milky Way, which was shared in 2014.

2. In 2018, NASA released this ethereal snapshot of the Milky Way as seen by the Chandra X-Ray Observatory, along with a visualization of the galaxy.

1. And this past week, the Chandra team shared this stunning composite photo of the Milky Way’s center.