A team of Edinburgh scientists has taken part in a project which has created never-before-seen images of the Milky Way.

Scientists from the Royal Observatory played a key role in the development of a camera which has now produced photos from an area a million miles from earth.

Pictures released today are the result of a trial run of two new cameras working simultaneously.

one of the devices contains parts designed in the capital's UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UK ATC) to enable the camera to survive its launch into space.

The new pictures are the first to show a small part of the Milky Way. As the project continues, scientists from across the UK hope to survey larger parts of our galaxy in a quest to discover how stars are formed.

Professor Colin Cunningham, Hardware Systems Engineer, said the tests so far had proved exciting, adding: "It demonstrates to me that the hard work we put into it - getting agreement from 17 organisations across Europe and North America on the best way to develop a robust and practical design was worthwhile.

"It is also great to see the first cryogenic space mechanism made here at the UK ATC working a million miles from the earth!"