Milky Way
The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy that contains our Solar System, along with billions of other stars and their planetary systems. It is characterized by its distinct spiral arms that emanate from a central bar-shaped structure. The Milky Way galaxy is estimated to be about 100,000 light-years in diameter and contains between 100 billion to 400 billion stars. The name "Milky Way" is derived from its appearance as a dim band of light in the night sky, formed by the densely packed stars that are not individually visible to the naked eye. This band appears white and is best observed from Earth in areas with low light pollution. The Milky Way is just one of the billions of galaxies in the universe and plays a significant role in the study of cosmology and astrophysics. Its structure and composition help astronomers understand the formation and evolution of galaxies over cosmic time.
