Do you know anything about the Milky Way?

Question

The Milky Way is not a constellation, but a bright band of stars that stretches across the entire night sky. The Aztec Indians called this part of the sky "Centzoni" {which means many, many because there are too many stars to count.

Answer 1

The Milky Way (a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, in turn derived from the Greek Γαλαξίας (Galaxias), sometimes referred to simply as "the Galaxy"), is a barred spiral galaxy which forms part of the Local Group. Although the Milky Way is but one of billions of galaxies in the observable universe,[4] the Galaxy has special significance to humanity as it is the home of the Solar System. The Greek philosopher Democritus was the first known person to claim that the Milky Way consists of distant stars.

The term "milky" originates from the hazy band of white light appearing across the celestial sphere visible from Earth, which comprises stars and other material lying within the galactic plane. The galaxy appears brightest in the direction of the constellation of Sagittarius, towards the galactic center. Relative to the celestial equator, the Milky Way passes as far north as the constellation of Cassiopeia and as far south as the constellation of Crux, indicating the high inclination of Earth's equatorial plane and the plane of the ecliptic relative to the galactic plane. The fact that the Milky Way divides the night sky into two roughly equal hemispheres indicates that the Solar System lies close to the galactic plane. The Milky Way's visual absolute magnitude is −20.9.[5]

The galaxy is estimated to contain 200[6] billion stars but this number may be as high as 400 billion[7] if small-mass stars predominate. As a guide to the relative physical scale of the Milky Way, if the galaxy were reduced to 130 km (80 mi) in diameter, the solar system would be a mere 2 mm (0.08 inches) in width. The Galactic Halo extends outward, but is limited in size by the orbits of the two Milky Way satellites, the Large and the Small Magellanic Clouds, whose perigalacticon is at ~180,000 light-years.[8] New discoveries indicate that the disk extends much farther than previously thought.

Answer 2

I know that is is not a bright band, it is a dimly glowing band. It is so dim that it cannot even be seen in the sky of any medium size or larger city on Earth because all the city lights make the sky brighter than the Milky Way. I once asked a group of elementary school children in an astronomy class I was teaching if they had seen the Milky Way and none had. So I organized a trip to a dark rural location. When we got there some of them asked me to point it out. I pointed to the glowing band of light that looks something like a regular cloud seen at night in moonlight, and they seemed not that interested, or even disappointed. Sort of confused as to what they were seeing. Sigh.

Answer 3

Well it is the galaxy we live in, an spiral bared one, it is estimated to contain 200 billion stars but this number may be as high as 400 billion if small-mass stars predominate. It is 100 thousands light years in diameter and we are 25 thousands light year away from it's core. the more you can find in the following link and there are amazing pics including a diagram that shows our position in it.

Answer 4

It seems like you already know a thing or two about it. Where exactly is the question?

Answer 5

yea its a Delicious chocolate bar um

Answer 6

we're told that we're in it. i guess we should believe that, so OK. we're in the Milky Way. great. so how's the weather where you are?

Answer 7

malty nougat with caramel, covered in chocolate

Answer 8

Home Sweet Home !