Milky Way: Some Fun Facts about our Galaxy

The Milky Way is a disk with a central bulge. The disk is not perfectly flat though, it is warped due to our neighboring galaxies Large and Small Magellanic clouds.

It is Warped

The large quantity of dark matter in our galaxy causes an invisible halo that has been demonstrated by simulations of how the Milky Way spins.

Invisible Halo

The Milky Way is only a medium sized galaxy with an estimated 200 billion stars.

200 Billion Stars

About 10-15 per cent of the Milky Way’s visible matter is made of dust and gas, with the rest being stars. On a clear night, the dusty ring of the Milky Way can be seen in the night sky.

Dusty and Gassy

In order for the Milky Way to achieve its current size and shape it has consumed other galaxies throughout its history.

Consuming other Galaxies

Scientists estimate that the Universe is about 13.7 billion years old and that the Milky Way is about 13.6 billion years old. 

Almost as Old as Universe