Galaxies
Parts of the Galaxy
The Galaxy
The Central Bulge
The Thin Disk
The Thick Disk
The Halo
The Dark Halo
Star PopulationsBy careful study over many years astronomers pieced together detail on the structure of the Milky Way galaxy. It is far more complex than a simple cloud of stars.
Follow the links to get the fuller picture.
Milky Way Graphic by Lucas Leslie, Yr 9 student, ESC, May 2000
Text based on Gilmore, King and van der Kruit, The Milky Way as a Galaxy, p 2 - 4, University Science Books, California, 1990.