The Milky Way is the galaxy where our Solar System lives.

• It’s shaped like a spiral — with long, beautiful arms made of stars, gas, and dust.

• It has over 100 billion stars, including our Sun!

• It’s about 100,000 light-years wide.

  Fun Fact: When you see a glowing white band across the night sky, that’s the Milky Way itself!

  
  

🏛️ Origin of the Name

• The name “Milky Way” comes from ancient Greek and Roman mythology.

• In Greek, it was called “Galaxias Kyklos” (γαλαξίας κύκλος), meaning “milky circle.”

• Ancient people saw a milky-looking band of light stretching across the night sky and thought it was spilled milk from the goddess Hera (the wife of Zeus).

• In Latin, it became “Via Lactea” — meaning “the Milky Road.”

Why the Name:
Because it looks like a river of milk spreading across the sky — the soft, glowing light of billions of stars!