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Everyone talks about how big the observable universe is, all of the complexity, etc... But what parts of the observable universe have we actually seen? What Parts are hidden in relative shadows? Is there a way to easily visualize the basic structure of what has been observed vs. what can be observed? I have heard before that the galactic disk blocks our view to a degree, specifically when people talk about how the galactic disk prevents us from seeing the great attractor. Is the galactic disk really that big of a barrier? Can we see the other side of the Galaxy or does the bright center block it from view? Does the easily observable universe look like a sphere with a cone cut out of it that is everything behind the shadow of the galactic core? Does the galactic disk block our vision so that our knowledge looks more like two semi-spheres with a thin bridge of observability connecting them centered on our galaxy? Is our galaxy so empty that our vision being blocked is irrelevant?

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  • $\begingroup$ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observable_universe $\endgroup$
    – Nilay Ghosh
    Commented Jun 1, 2023 at 3:04
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    $\begingroup$ The answer to your question is wavelength-dependent. In the galactic plane there are large clouds of gas and dust that are opaque to visible light but are fairly transparent in the infrared, so infrared observations let us see behind them. Even in the visible, the portion of the sky that is blocked from view is a very small percentage of the celestial sphere. Some things aren't "blocked" from view but are difficult to distinguish from foreground objects: a distant galaxy behind M13 from our point of view will be difficult to observe, but is not really "cloaked" from us. $\endgroup$
    – antlersoft
    Commented Jun 1, 2023 at 15:47

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