The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance as a dim glowing band arching across the night sky in which the naked eye cannot distinguish individual stars. From the inside, it looks like a narrow band of milky light, hence the name.
This galaxy is a barred spiral galaxy with an estimated visible diameter of 100-200,000 light-years. It is a wondrous place filled with stars, planets, and wonders beyond imagination!
Did you know?
- The Milky Way is about 13.6 billion years old.
- It contains over 100 billion stars.
- The galactic center is approximately 27,000 light-years from Earth, in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.
Explore more:
- The Andromeda Galaxy - Our nearest galactic neighbor
- Jupiter - The Gas Giant
- Mysteries of Black Holes