Milky Way

The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy that contains our Solar System, along with billions of other stars, planets, and celestial bodies. It is characterized by its distinct spiral arms, a central bulge, and a flat disc structure. The name "Milky Way" derives from its appearance as a faint, milky band of light stretching across the night sky, composed of numerous stars that are too distant to be individually distinguished by the naked eye. The galaxy is estimated to be about 100,000 light-years in diameter and contains hundreds of billions of stars. Its structure includes various components, such as a central supermassive black hole, stellar clusters, nebulae, and dark matter. The Milky Way is part of the Local Group of galaxies, which includes the Andromeda Galaxy and several smaller galaxies. Its study is essential for understanding the formation, evolution, and dynamics of galaxies in the universe.