Milky Way - Wikipedia
WEBThe Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy are a binary system of giant spiral galaxies belonging to a group of 50 closely bound galaxies known as the Local Group, surrounded by a Local Void, itself being part of the Local Sheet [268] and in turn the Virgo Supercluster.
The Milky Way Galaxy - NASA Science
WEBNov 8, 2017 · Using infrared images from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope, scientists have discovered that the Milky Way's elegant spiral structure is dominated by just two arms wrapping off the ends of a central bar of stars. Previously, our galaxy was thought to possess four major arms.
Milky Way Galaxy | Size, Definition, & Facts | Britannica
WEBSep 14, 2024 · Milky Way Galaxy (sometimes simply called the Galaxy), large spiral system of about several hundred billion stars, one of which is the Sun. It takes its name from the Milky Way, the irregular luminous band of stars and gas clouds that stretches across the sky as seen from Earth.
The Milky Way Galaxy - Center for Astrophysics
WEBToday, astronomers study the Milky Way to understand its history, structure, contents, and our place in the galaxy. Like most other large galaxies, the Milky Way harbors a supermassive black hole at its center. Known as Sagittarius A* — abbreviated as Sgr A* — this galaxy is about four million times the mass of the Sun.
The Milky Way Galaxy - Imagine the Universe!
WEBSep 23, 2021 · Our Sun (a star) and all the planets around it are part of a galaxy known as the Milky Way Galaxy. A galaxy is a large group of stars, gas, and dust bound together by gravity. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Milky Way Galaxy - Structure, Dynamics, Stars | Britannica
WEBSep 14, 2024 · The Milky Way Galaxy’s structure is fairly typical of a large spiral system. (Spiral galaxies and other types of galaxies are described in the article galaxy.) This structure can be viewed as consisting of six separate parts: (1) a nucleus, (2) a central bulge, (3) a disk (both a thin and a thick disk), (4) spiral arms, (5) a spherical ...
What is the Milky Way? It’s our home galaxy - EarthSky
WEBJan 1, 2024 · The Milky Way from a distance. So, what does the Milky Way would look like from the outside? How many spiral arms there are? How big is the galaxy and how many stars does it hold?
The Milky Way Galaxy - Imagine the Universe!
WEBOct 14, 2021 · If you were looking down on the Milky Way, it would look like a large pinwheel rotating in space. Our Galaxy is a spiral galaxy that formed approximately 14 billion years ago. Contained in the Milky Way are stars, clouds of dust and gas called nebulae, planets, and asteroids.
Galaxies - Imagine the Universe!
WEBSep 23, 2021 · There are billions of galaxies in the Universe, but only three outside our Milky Way Galaxy can be seen without a telescope - the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds and the Andromeda galaxy. The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are about 160,000 light years away and are satellites of the Milky Way.
The Milky Way: Understanding Our Place in the Galaxy
WEBNov 1, 2023 · The Milky Way's gravity affects two satellite galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, visible from the Southern Hemisphere and orbiting at varying positions around our entire galaxy. The Large Magellanic Cloud, about 14,000 light-years in diameter and 163,000 light-years away, may lose gas and …
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