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Last updated September 25, 2024

What is the Milky Way?

What is the Milky Way, explanation for children

Image description: Representation of our galaxy, the Milky Way, with its billions of stars. Image credit AI

Have you ever looked at the night sky and seen a kind of bright white band crossing it? What you saw is part of our galaxy, the Milky Way.

What is a galaxy?

A galaxy is an enormous group of stars, planets, gas, and dust, all held together by gravity. There are billions of galaxies in the universe, and our Earth is in a galaxy called the Milky Way.

What does the Milky Way look like?

The Milky Way is a spiral-shaped galaxy. Imagine a big wheel with arms spiraling around the center. These arms are filled with billions of stars, including our Sun. We live in one of these arms, called the "Orion Arm".

Why is it called the "Milky Way"?

The name "Milky Way" comes from the fact that it looks like a milky white streak in the sky. The ancient Greeks thought it was milk spilled by the gods. In reality, this light comes from all the stars in the galaxy, which are so far away that they blend into one glow.

How many stars are in the Milky Way?

The Milky Way contains between 100 and 400 billion stars. Some are bigger and brighter than our Sun, while others are much smaller. Our Sun is an average star among all these stars.

Is our Sun in the center of the Milky Way?

No, our Sun is not in the center of the galaxy. It is located about two-thirds of the way from the center, in one of the spiral arms. At the center of the Milky Way, there is a giant black hole called Sagittarius A*.

Conclusion

The Milky Way is our home in the universe. It is an enormous spiral galaxy filled with billions of stars, planets, and gas. Next time you look at the night sky, think about all the stars and planets that make up this incredible galaxy.


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