Well, we can take clues from other galaxies we’ve observed. [/caption] Our own Milky Way is an example of a grand spiral; a vast collection of 200 to 400 billion stars.

Because we dwell within the Milky Way Galaxy, it is impossible for us to take a picture of its spiral structure from the outside.But we do know that our Milky Way has a spiral nature from observations made from within our Galaxy (though whether or not it is a barred spiral … The Sun is located in a minor arm, or spur, named the Orion Spur. The Milky Way is but one of billions of galaxies in the universe. The Sun is just one of 200 billion stars in this typical barred-spiral galaxy that is about 90 000 light years in diameter.

Spherical could be applicable as elliptical if you got to choose only one on the choices above. And it’s all held together by gravity. We can also detect the bulge at the center. Example of spiral galaxy is the Milky Way galaxy where our Solar system is currently located according to the scientists. The Milky Way has four main spiral arms: the Norma and Cygnus arm, Sagittarius, Scutum-Crux, and Perseus.

Upon further review with additional data and more sensitive instruments, scientists now believe that we actually reside in a subclass of spiral galaxies known as barred spiral galaxies.
Our Sun (a star) and all the planets around it are part of a galaxy known as the Milky Way Galaxy. Spiral galaxies such as the Milky Way Galaxy have Population I concentrated in the spiral disk and Population II spread out in a thick disk and/or a spherical halo. This is a drawing of the Milky Way looking down from above. The evidence for this picture is provided below. It takes its name from the Milky Way, the irregular luminous band of stars and gas clouds that stretches across the sky as seen from Earth.

This is a very good question. The Milky Way is actually a galaxy-- a large system of stars, gas (mostly hydrogen), dust and dark matter that orbits a common center and is bound together by gravity. The clues we have to the shape of the Milky Way are: 1) When you look toward the galactic center with your eye, you see a long, thin strip. In contrast to the blue disk, the bright central bulge is made up of mostly older, redder stars. The Milky Way Galaxy’s structure is fairly typical of a large spiral system. Unfortunately, not only would the satellite take 10,000 years to exit the galaxy, but after the picture is clicked, it would also take an additional 10,000 years to reach us. Contrary to popular belief, our solar system is not at the center of the galaxy. Our galaxy is a whole lot bigger than it looks. The sun is shown near the bottom in the Orion Spur.

New work finds that the Milky Way stretches nearly 2 million light-years across, more than 15 times wider than its luminous spiral disk. The Milky Way Galaxy is our home galaxy in the universe. We can also detect the bulge at the center. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is typical: it has hundreds of billions of stars, enough gas and dust to make billions more stars, and about six times as much dark matter as all the stars and gas put together.
Since we’re inside our galaxy and, as of yet, haven’t sent any spacecraft beyond our galaxy, how do we know it’s shape?

The band of the Milky Way galaxy can be seen at night in areas with dark skies. Milky Way Galaxy (sometimes simply called the Galaxy), large spiral system of about several hundred billion stars, one of which is the Sun. Like our Milky Way, this galaxy has a blue disk of young stars peppered with bright pink star-birth regions.

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is typical: it has hundreds of billions of stars, enough gas and dust to make billions more stars, and about six times as much dark matter as all the stars and gas put together.