The Milky Way Galaxy has been making headlines recently due to several groundbreaking discoveries in the field of astronomy. Astronomers have found that the Milky Way is actually a fifth as heavy as previously estimated, challenging existing theories about dark matter. Additionally, observations made using the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed that galaxies similar to the Milky Way are far more common than previously believed, with many having formed over 10 billion years ago.
The Milky Way Galaxy is the spiral galaxy that contains our Solar System, consisting of billions of stars, planets, dust, and gas bound together by gravity. It is named for the milky appearance it creates in the night sky, caused by the collective light of its numerous stars. The galaxy is estimated to be about 100,000 light-years in diameter and is part of a larger galactic group known as the Local Group, which also includes the Andromeda Galaxy and numerous smaller galaxies. The Milky Way is home to a supermassive black hole at its center, around which the rest of the galaxy orbits.