The Milky Way is the galaxy our solar system calls home. For thousands of years, the Milky Way's beauty and wonder have inspired legendary stories and curious astronomers gazing at the night sky.
We've only recently learned some of the fascinating details of the Milky Way. While there is still more left to be uncovered, here are 10 facts we know about the Milky Way.
(Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech)
NASA/JPL-Caltech
According to NASA, the Milky Way galaxy is about 100,000 light-years across. Wide may be an understatement.
However, our neighboring galaxy, Andromeda, is roughly 220,000 light-years across. And some can be millions of light-years wide.
Read More: How Big Is the Milky Way?
Much like our planet moves around the sun, our solar system also orbits around the center of the Milky Way. Instead of taking one year, however, our solar system takes about 230 million years to complete one turn around ...
