Where is Earth in the Milky Way? - Universe Today
Jul 13, 2016 · But thanks to ongoing efforts, astronomers now know where our Sun resides in the galaxy. For starters, the Milky Way is really, really big! Not only does it measure some 100,000–120,000...
Milky Way - Wikipedia
The Milky Way [c] is the galaxy that includes the Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye.
Where is Earth in the Milky Way Galaxy? - Astronomy Explained
Earth is in a relatively quieter part of the Milky Way Galaxy. Our solar system sits in one of the galaxy’s many spiral arms, called the Orion Arm or Orion Spur. Picture the Milky Way as a swirling disk with a bright center and long, winding arms. Earth is …
Milky Way and Our Location - NASA
Feb 1, 2012 · The Milky Way Galaxy is organized into spiral arms of giant stars that illuminate interstellar gas and dust. The Sun is in a finger called the Orion Spur. Graphic view of our Milky Way Galaxy.
Location of Earth - Wikipedia
Earth is the third planet from the Sun with an approximate distance of 149.6 million kilometres (93.0 million miles), and is traveling nearly 2.1 million kilometres per hour (1.3 million miles per hour) through outer space.
Where Are We In The Milky Way | Milky Way Facts - Star Walk
Feb 25, 2022 · The Milky Way galaxy is a huge collection of dust, gas, and stars, including our Sun. The Earth is located inside this galaxy, so it is often called “our home galaxy” or simply “our galaxy.”
The Milky Way: Earth’s home galaxy | Astronomy.com
Aug 2, 2019 · Giant clouds of gas and dust sprinkled with splashy star clusters adorn the Milky Way’s spiral arms, while the galaxy’s vast halo teems with darker matter. Scientists think our galaxy has four...
What is Earth's location in space? - Cool Cosmos
Earth is located in one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way (called the Orion Arm) which lies about two-thirds of the way out from the center of the Galaxy. Here we are part of the Solar System - a group of eight planets, as well as numerous comets …
Chapter 2: Reference Systems - NASA Science
Jan 16, 2025 · Earth’s orbit is elliptical and reaches its closest approach to the Sun, a perihelion of 147,090,000 km, on about January fourth of each year. Aphelion comes six months later at 152,100,000 km. Shorter-term Polar Motion. Aside from the long-term motions, the Earth’s rotational axis and poles have two shorter periodic motions.
Solar System Facts - Science@NASA
Jan 17, 2025 · Our solar system is located in the Milky Way, a barred spiral galaxy with two major arms, and two minor arms. Our Sun is in a small, partial arm of the Milky Way called the Orion Arm, or Orion Spur, between the Sagittarius and Perseus arms. Our solar system orbits the center of the galaxy at about 515,000 mph (828,000 kph).