I never thought of our understanding of the galaxy being spatially limited until I read this article about China's effort to produce a 3D map of the Galaxy. I am not sure I understand how it would work, but I am intrigued by the prospect.
China is commissioning a strangely-shaped telescope in the forested hills northeast of Beijing that Chinese scientists said will be the world's most efficient tool for mapping the galaxy in three dimensions.
Unlike most such instruments, where the whole telescope moves to follow the object being studied in the sky, the Chinese design features a fixed structure and two moveable, segmented mirrors.
Source: China's odd telescope to map galaxy in 3D - Space- msnbc.com
I wonder where I put my 3D glasses?
