Dante Minniti
Chile – Universidad Andres Bello
But we know very little about the Milky Way
Abstract: We have made a lot of progress in the study of the MW. But much of our Galaxy remains unknown, in spite of the recent progress made with near-IR surveys like the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) and its extension VVVX. Some amazing breakthroughs await to be made in the exploration of the Galactic center and the far side of the Galaxy. In particular, the Galactic extinction horizon is a fundamental difficulty, and it is my aim here to discuss
how profound is our ignorance, and also to try to suggest ways for improvement with future facilities.