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Milky Way is our galaxy from "summary" of Space Encyclopedia by David A. Aguilar,Christine Pulliam,Patricia Daniels

The Milky Way is a vast, swirling collection of billions of stars, planets, gas, and dust that stretches across the night sky like a shimmering river of light. Our solar system, with its eight planets (including Earth), orbits within the Milky Way, about two-thirds of the way out from the center of the galaxy. The Milky Way is so massive that its gravitational pull keeps all of its member stars and planets in orbit around its center. At the heart of the galaxy lies a supermassive black hole that is millions of times more massive than our sun. This black hole exerts a powerful gravitational force that shapes the movement of stars and other objects within the galaxy. The Milky Way is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe, each containing their own unique collection of stars and planets. When we look up at the night sky and see the hazy band of light that we call the Milky Way, we are actually looking towards the disk of our galaxy from within. The Milky Way is estimated to be about 100,000 light-years in diameter, with a thickness of about 1,000 light-years. It is a barred spiral galaxy, meaning that it has a central bar-shaped structure with spiral arms that extend outwards from it. These spiral arms are where most of the galaxy's star formation takes place. Throughout history, astronomers and scientists have studied the Milky Way to learn more about its structure, composition, and evolution. By studying the stars and other objects within our galaxy, we can gain a better understanding of how galaxies form and evolve over time.
  1. The Milky Way is not just a beautiful sight in the night sky – it is our home in the vast expanse of the universe. Its sheer size and complexity remind us of the incredible diversity and wonder of the cosmos. As we continue to explore and learn more about the Milky Way, we uncover new mysteries and deepen our understanding of our place in the universe.
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Space Encyclopedia

David A. Aguilar

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