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Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered about the Milky band stretching across it? That’s the Milky Way Galaxy. The Milky Way Galaxy is one of the two trillion galaxies in our observable universe. It consists of 400 billion stars and at least 100 billion plants. Our Earth is just one planet among the many! This ever-evolving Galaxy is filled with mysteries and has captivated astronomers for centuries. Do you want to know more about the Milky Way? This blog covers the top 10 Interesting facts about Milky Way Galaxy that will leave you spellbound.
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It is a Cosmic City
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Our Galaxy, the Miky Way is a colossal barred spiral galaxy. It is 100,000 light-years in diameter. This is one of the interesting facts about Milky Way galaxy. The reason? Its diameter ensures that light travelling at the speed of around 299,792 kilometres per second will take 100,000 years to go from one edge to the other.
Moreover, the galaxy has around 200 to 400 billion stars. Each star has its planetary system. Do you still think we are the only one in the universe?
The Solar System Orbits
You must have read in your textbooks that our Earth revolves around the Sun. Do you know our entire solar system revolves around the centre of the galaxy? This is one of the unbelievable facts about Milky Way Galaxy. Our solar system travels at the speed of 828,000 kilometres per hour. It will take us 250 million years to finish a single orbit. This also means you will not be alive to witness a single orbit. We call this orbit the cosmic year. Previously, when the Earth was in the same position dinosaurs existed.
It has a Supermassive Black Hole
Have you ever wondered what is at the centre of the Milky Way? The answer is a supermassive black hole. We call it Sagittarius A. The Sagittarius A has a mass that is 4 million times that of the Sun. This is one of the facts about Milky Way galaxy.
A black hole has a strong gravitational pull that makes stars and planets revolve around it. Usually, this supermassive black hole is quiet and has no disruptions. However, at times, it flares up and consumes the dust and gas. This makes astronomers learn more about it.
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A Future Collision is On the Way
Another one of the interesting fact about the Milky Way is the possibility of a future collision with the Andromeda Galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy is the nearest galaxy to us. It is estimated that in 4 billion years the Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy will merge into one.
The chances of a collision are rare because stars are very far apart. What is more likely is a merger between the two galaxies and the creation of a new galaxy called the ‘Milkomeda’.
It Has Billions of Unique Stars
One of the cool facts about Milky Way galaxy is that it has around 200 to 400 billion stars! All of these stars come in different sizes, have different colours, and even have different lifespans.
While some stars are blue giants (meaning they burn brightly but don’t live long), others are red drafts that can live for billions of years. The unique shapes and lifespans make it easier for astronomers to understand how the galaxies have evolved
Want to know one of the strange facts about the Milky Way galaxy? It has a hidden halo. The catch? You cannot see it! This is because 90% of our universe consists of what we call dark matter. Dark matter is not visible to our naked eye. We know that a halo surrounds the Milky Way because it affects the way the stars and the galaxies move. The dark matter plays a huge role. For example, if it did not exist the stars would orbit at a slower speed.
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It is Not Alone
The Milky Way Galaxy is not alone in the universe. It has its companions. Several small galactic galaxies orbit the Milky Way. Often they lose their stars and gas to the Milky Way. Thus, these large and small Magellanic Clouds help in the growth of the galaxy.
Scientists study this process to understand how the stars are formed, and how a galaxy becomes huge over time.
It’s Impossible to Take a Picture
One of the disappointing facts about Milky Way galaxy is that we cannot picture it. After all, we reside at 26,000 light-years from its centre. Therefore, we cannot take a snapshot of the disk.
Whatever images of the Milky Way you see on the internet are based on factual data and our imagination. It is not real. The Milky Way may look slightly different in reality.
It is Ancient like the Universe
Cosmologists have estimated that our universe is around 13.7 billion years old! One of the unique facts about the Milky Way is that it is as old as the Universe. Several parts of the Milky Way Galaxy like the disk were developed recently. However, the main parts were formed when the Universe was created. This means it is the same age as our Universe.
We Named It Based on How It Looks
The Milky Way Galaxy looks like a white luminous path in the night sky. Therefore, it was named by the Greeks as a “Milky Circle’’. The term Milky Way was taken from the Latin word ‘Via Lactea,” meaning Milky Road. Isn’t this one of the most amazing facts about Milky Way galaxy?
Every ancient culture has its myths, and names about the Milky Way. For example, the Greeks called it the Milky Circle based on the Myth that the goddess Hera has spilt Milk in the sky. Certain other cultures see it as a celestial river.
Stays Intact in the Ever-Expanding Universe
Our universe is expanding as time goes on. However, the galaxies like the Milky Way are not. The Milky Way and other structures in it do not expand and are held together by gravity.
Nevertheless, everything is on the move. While the Earth revolves around the Sun, the Sun revolves around the centre of the Milky Way. Stars in the Milky Way have their own unique planets that revolve around them.
Another one of the cool facts about Milky Way galaxy is that it is a part of the Virgo Supercluster a group of galaxies within 150 million light years. This supercluster is just one of the 10 million superclusters in the observable universe!
FAQs
The Milky Way Galaxy is a barred spiral-type galaxy. It is 13.6 billion years old and counting. It has at least 200 billion stars in it. It rotates in 250 million years. Its size is 100,000 light-years across.
The Milky Way Galaxy is special because it is our galaxy. It is the home of our Solar System including the Earth. Moreover, this galaxy has a supermassive black hole at its centre. It consists of several stars that have their own planets.
The Milky Way Galaxy is as old as the Universe. Its age is around 13. 6 billion years. The most recently formed galaxy in the Universe is around 500 million years old.
The secret of the Milky Way is that it has a halo that we cannot see. Computer models and studies have confirmed that there is a halo existing around it. However, it is a dark matter.
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Hope you like these interesting facts about Milky Way galaxy. If you want to know more about topics like this, then visit our Interesting Facts and General Knowledge page!
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