Measuring roughly 100,000 light years across, the Milky Way is mankind’s home. Without leaving our galaxy and viewing it from afar, we can’t be absolutely certain of its shape, however there is significant evidence that points to it being a sprial. This is just one of four main galaxy shapes that have been observed in the universe, including elliptical, lenticular and irregular. Looking towards the Milky Way’s galactic centre, we’re able to see a long, thin strip that suggests we’re looking at a disc seen from the edge-on. A central bulge can also be detected, which can be seen in other spiral-shaped galaxies. Furthermore, by measuring the velocity of the stars and gas within the Milky Way, it’s possible to observe an overall rotational motion that is greater than random motions, which is indicative of a spiral galaxy. The final clue lies with the amount of gas and dust and their respective colours, which is similar to the other spiral galaxies we’ve observed. By combining all this proof, we have fairly conclusive evidence that our galaxy is a spiral.
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Mr.datta
Measuring roughly 100,000 light years across, the Milky Way is mankind’s home. Without leaving our galaxy and viewing it from afar, we can’t be absolutely certain of its shape, however there is significant evidence that points to it being a sprial. This is just one of four main galaxy shapes that have been observed in the universe, including elliptical, lenticular and irregular. Looking towards the Milky Way’s galactic centre, we’re able to see a long, thin strip that suggests we’re looking at a disc seen from the edge-on. A central bulge can also be detected, which can be seen in other spiral-shaped galaxies. Furthermore, by measuring the velocity of the stars and gas within the Milky Way, it’s possible to observe an overall rotational motion that is greater than random motions, which is indicative of a spiral galaxy. The final clue lies with the amount of gas and dust and their respective colours, which is similar to the other spiral galaxies we’ve observed. By combining all this proof, we have fairly conclusive evidence that our galaxy is a spiral.