What is the Milky Way?
The Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy that is part of the Local Group, a collection of more than 50 galaxies that are gravitationally bound to each other. It is estimated to have a diameter of about 100,000 light-years and contains billions of stars, as well as gas and dust. Our Solar System is located within the Milky Way, roughly 25,000 light-years from its center.
The Milky Way has a central bulge surrounded by a disk with four main spiral arms, and is thought to have a supermassive black hole at its center. The Milky Way is also home to a number of satellite galaxies, including the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds.
Studying the Milky Way has been a key part of astronomy and astrophysics, and has helped us to better understand the formation and evolution of galaxies, as well as the properties of the universe as a whole.
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