What is the Milky Way?

The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy. It is the galaxy that contains the solar system and the sun. It is not a single object but a massive system of stars, stellar remnants, gas, and dust, all gravitationally bound.

Size and Scale

In terms of physical span, estimates suggest the Milky Way has a diameter of approximately 100,000 to 200,000 years of light-years. The thickness of the galactic disk is much smaller, estimated to be only a few thousand light-years.

The galactic structure is composed of several arms rotating around a central bulge. The solar system resides in one of these arms, known as the Orion Arm.

Stellar Population

The Milky Way contains an extremely large number of stars. Estimates for the total number of stars within the galaxy range from 100 to 400 billion stars. This estimate accounts for the visible stars as well as dimmer, uncounted stellar populations.