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Explore the fascinating world of galaxies, including the Milky Way, which houses 100 to 200 billion stars and various gas clouds. Discover the three main types of galaxies: elliptical, spiral (like the Milky Way and Andromeda), and irregular, each with unique characteristics. Learn about star clusters, including open clusters like the Pleiades and globular clusters in Hercules, which hold thousands of stars. Delve into the cosmic structures that comprise our universe and their significance in understanding matter and space.
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Galaxy • A large collection of stars • Galaxies contain star groups • Galaxies only contain 1% of matter in the universe • The remaining 99% of matter in the universe is “empty” space consisting of gases and dust
Milky Way Galaxy • The galaxy where we are located • Contains 100 to 200 billion stars • Also contains gas and dust clouds (nebulae) • Approximately 100,000 light years in diameter and about 15,000 light years thick • Solar system is located in the outer spiral arm of the Milky Way, about 30, 000 light years from the center of the galaxy
Milky Way Galaxy • Rotates about its center • It takes 200 million years for the solar system to revolve around the galaxy
Elliptical Galaxies • Vary in shape from nearly spherical to resembling a flat disk • Contain very little dust • Have stars that are generally older than those in other types
Spiral Galaxies • Made up of thick mass of material and flattened arms that spiral around the center • Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy are spiral galaxies
Irregular Galaxies • Have no definite shape • Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are some examples
Star Clusters • Smaller groups of stars within a galaxy • They are gravitationally bound • There are two types of star clusters in the Milky Way galaxy • Most star clusters are far from the solar system and appear as fuzzy patches in the night sky • The open cluster and the globular cluster
Open Cluster • Contains large, loosely organized groups of stars • Pleiades, one of its examples, can be seen in the constellation of Taurus in winter
Globular Cluster • Group of stars in spherical shape • Many contain more than 100,000 stars • Example is the cluster in the constellation Hercules
Multiple Star System • Clusters that contain stars in much smaller groups • Binary stars are stars found in pairs • Eclipsing binary is a binary star system in which one star blocks out the light from its companion star