Could the Mystery of the Milky Way hold the Key to Future Life on Planet Earth?

hubpages.com ^ | 5/23/09 | JXB7076

[jxb7076]

The Milky Way, sometimes called simply the Galaxy, is the galaxy in which our Solar System is located. It is a barred spiral galaxy that is part of the Local Group of galaxies. It is one of billions of galaxies in the observable universe. Its name is a translation of the Latin Via Lactea, which derives from the Greek Γαλαξίας (Galaxias or Galaxiases), both of which refer to the pale band of light formed by the galactic plane as seen from Earth (see etymology of galaxy). Some sources hold that, strictly speaking, the term Milky Way should refer exclusively to the band of light that the galaxy forms in the night sky, while the galaxy as an astrophysical whole should receive the full name Milky Way Galaxy, or alternatively the Galaxy.[4][5][6] However, it is unclear how widespread this convention is, and the term Milky Way is routinely used in either context. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_Way

[jxb7076]

good catch - thanks!

[John Valentine]

There are two differnt distances to the galactic center mentioned in the same paragraph withoug the slightest embarrasment or care.

[LoneRangerMassachusetts]

The Milky Way is a community of stars that boasts a stellar population of more than 100 to 300 billion members. Its density is so immense that light from one side takes approximately 100 thousand years to reach the opposite side

Density should read diameter. Some science writer flunked physics.