Since our eyes are not sensitive to wavelengths longer or shorter than visible light, we build instruments to translate the x-ray, uv, infrared and radio light into wavelengths which we CAN see. We stick these instruments on telescopes and hook them up to computers. Arbitrary colors are then chosen to display the images.

 

This is a visible light, whole-sky image of our galaxy, the Milky Way. This is how we see it, but at shorter and longer wavelengths it looks quite different.

Here it is in infrared light at a wavelength of 2µ, as a snake might see it. Infrared light at this wavelength is radiated mostly by warm dust.

And in radio light at a wavelength of a few millimeters, you can see the bulge of old stars around the Galactic center.

This radio image shows the distribution of atomic hydrogen in the Milky Way, the material from which the next generation of stars will form.

Many stars in our Galaxy shine at very short wavelengths, in ultraviolet and x-ray light, as seen here. Actually, honey bees see the Milky Way much like this because their eyes are sensitive to ultraviolet. Some flowers direct bees to pollen and nectar by marking their petals with landing strips and taxiing directions that reflect only ultraviolet light which only bees can see.