I do not like the current, empty background. It would be nice if the map of the known universe would look like a big galaxy (or 2 galaxies, for example: http://www.spacetelescope.org/static/archives/images/screen/heic0506a.jpg ).

What do you think about it?

+1

+1

Nice picture.

+1 to something besides the current background. I think this issue is part of a broader issue in that the interface just looks dated.

Somehow I think they are replacing it with something else.

BUT +1, very nice pic.

-1

Using that as backgroud would result that there are systems far outside our own galaxy, the Milky Way... Also the scale problem, it should be really really small insert image, or it would lead to extra-galactic systems, near to those galaxies.

So, unless all systems display that image in the background, and so small that it goes unnoticed, it would be nonsense, Science-wise.

The spiral galaxy nearest to us is the Andromeda, and it is a quite small image in our sky, as big as a distant planet, i.e., invisible to naked eyes. Instead, Magellanic Clouds (LMC and SMC), that are "our" satellite galaxies, and the milky way band (the spiral) should be added to backgrounds, even allowing localization of system by triangulation/parallax.

Something closer to this, without the foreground, of course:

I'm all for science being upheld by the background, but I think its a little too much trouble to put that on a map. All we need is a new image that looks good with the systems in front of it; no ones really gonna care (except for you) if its not true science-wise.