Universe galaxy space. Universe space galaxy galaxies solar system cosmology and nasa. Our sun is one star among the billions in the milky way galaxy. Some scientists think there could be as many as one hundred billion galaxies in the universe. The galaxy that contains the earth and its solar system is called the milky way.
A new image from the hubble space telescope shows the stunning size and variety of the abell 370 galaxy cluster. Soon the james webb space telescope will be exploring galaxies forming at the very beginning of the universe. Galaxies are categorized according to their visual morphology as elliptical spiral or irregular. Galaxies range in size from dwarfs with just a few hundred million 10 8 stars to giants with one hundred trillion 10 14 stars each orbiting its galaxys center of mass.
Many galaxies are thought to have supermassive black holes at their centers. In galaxies the solar systems are separated by vast sections of mostly empty space. A light year is the distance light travels in one earth year. Some of these distant systems are similar to our own milky way galaxy while others are quite different.
All in all hubble reveals an estimated 100 billion galaxies in the universe or so but this number is likely to increase to about 200 billion as telescope technology in space improves livio told. This is the picture taken by the hubble space telescope showing thousands of galaxies. Learn about how we find the age of galaxies using light. The number of galaxies cannot be countedthe observable universe alone may contain 100 billion.
Learn about how we use light years to measure the distance of objects in space. You are one of the billions of people on our earth. Even the tiny dots are whole galaxies. Credithubble space telescopenasaesa the antennae galaxies are undergoing a.
A nebula is a cloud of dust and gas in space. Ngc 5866 an example of a lenticular galaxy. If youre keeping count the number of stars in the universe would then be in the neighbourhood of two hundred billion trillion thats a two followed by 23 zeroes. Galaxies are sprawling space systems composed of dust gas and countless stars.
Our earth orbits the sun in our solar system. Most galaxies formed more than 10 billion years ago. A galaxy is a system of solar systems and other stars. What is a light year.
Galaxies like solar systems are held together by gravity.