Galaxies

Parts of the Galaxy

The Galaxy
The Central Bulge
The Thin Disk
The Thick Disk
The Halo
The Dark Halo
Star Populations

The most mysterious part of the galaxy is the dark halo. It is known only by its gravitational effect - stars in the outer part of the galaxy orbit just as fast as stars near the centre. The best explanation is the prediction that vast amounts of as yet undetected matter surround the visible part of the galaxy.

We don't yet know what it consists of - about all we can say is that it almost certainly is not made of stars.


Milky Way Graphic by Lucas Leslie, Yr 9 student, ESC, May 2000