How does Earth fit into the Milky Way galaxy?
Earth is a planet located in the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way galaxy is a spiral galaxy that contains billions of stars, along with gas, dust, and other celestial objects. It is estimated that there are about 100 billion to 400 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy.
Earth is part of a solar system within the Milky Way galaxy called the Solar System. Our Solar System consists of the Sun, eight planets (including Earth), moons, asteroids, comets, and other smaller celestial bodies. The Sun, which is a star, is located in one of the arms of the Milky Way galaxy called the Orion Arm or the Local Spur.
Earth orbits around the Sun in a nearly circular path, known as its orbit, which takes approximately 365.25 days to complete, causing the cycle of seasons. The Milky Way galaxy is much larger than the Solar System, with a diameter of about 100,000 light-years. Earth is located in one of the outer arms of the Milky Way galaxy, about 25,000 light-years away from its center.
Given the immense size of the Milky Way galaxy, it is just a small part of it. However, Earth plays a significant role for us as the only known planet with life and the only place where human civilization has developed.