The Milky Way is the name given to the galaxy in which our solar system resides. It is one of an estimated 125 to 500 billion galaxies in the known universe.Goddard Spaceflight Center: Ask an Astrophysicist
Galactic Cannibalism
Due to the Milky Way's gravity, it attracts other local galaxies to it. Therefore, nearby galaxies will eventually collide with the Milky Way, making one larger galaxy and destroying some stars in the process. The process is known as galactic cannibalism and will not happen to the Milky Way for another 3 billion years.Space.com: Galactic cannibalism
References
Fast Facts
-
Fact:
-
Fact:
100,000 light years wide
-
Fact:
Looks like a milky band across the night sky when viewed with the naked eye
-
Fact:
-
Fact:
-
Fact:
Part of the Local Group, a small neighborhood of about 3 dozen galaxies clustered togetherChandra X-Ray Observatory: Milky Way images
-
Closest galactic neighbor (2003)
