A density map of stars in our galaxy – the Milky Way – and of its neighbouring Magellanic Clouds, in an image from ESA’s Gaia satellite – click to enlarge [credit: ESA/Gaia – CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO image prepared by Edmund Serpell]Our home galaxy, the Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy of approximately 200 to 400 billion stars.
Under good viewing conditions the plane of the milky way is visible as a band of light across the night sky.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok