Milky Way
The Solar System lies within the Milky Way. This topic is part of Astronomy within Science & Nature. This page currently draws on 17 supporting questions, with answers and bonus facts available below.
Milky Way trivia questions
The Milky Way is what type of object?
Answer: Galaxy
Bonus fact: The Solar System lies within the Milky Way.
What lies near the center of the Milky Way?
Answer: Supermassive black hole
Bonus fact: Sagittarius A* is the central supermassive black hole.
What general shape is the Milky Way galaxy?
Answer: Barred spiral
Bonus fact: The Milky Way is classified as a barred spiral galaxy.
Which large galaxy is the nearest major spiral galaxy to the Milky Way?
Answer: Andromeda Galaxy
Bonus fact: The Andromeda Galaxy is about 2.5 million light-years away and is moving toward the Milky Way.
Edwin Hubble was an astronomer who helped show that what exists beyond the Milky Way?
Answer: Other galaxies
Bonus fact: Hubble's observations helped establish the vast scale of the universe.
In which small feature of the Milky Way is our Sun located?
Answer: Orion Spur
Bonus fact: The Orion Spur lies between the Milky Way’s Sagittarius and Perseus arms.
About how long does our solar system take to orbit the center of the Milky Way once?
Answer: 230 million years
Bonus fact: The solar system travels around the Milky Way’s center at hundreds of thousands of miles per hour.
Which pair are famous irregular galaxies near the Milky Way?
Answer: Large and Small Magellanic Clouds
Bonus fact: The Large and Small Magellanic Clouds are nearby examples of irregular galaxies.
Many dwarf galaxies near the Milky Way are what?
Answer: Satellite galaxies
Bonus fact: Many dwarf galaxies contain very little visible matter compared with the amount of dark matter inferred from their motions.
The Great Attractor is best described as what?
Answer: A region of unusually strong gravitational pull
Bonus fact: Part of the region is difficult to observe because the Milky Way blocks the view in the Zone of Avoidance.
Why is the Great Attractor difficult to observe directly?
Answer: The Milky Way obscures part of it
Bonus fact: Part of the region is difficult to observe because the Milky Way blocks the view in the Zone of Avoidance.
The Great Attractor is associated with which supercluster-scale region?
Answer: Laniakea
Bonus fact: Part of the region is difficult to observe because the Milky Way blocks the view in the Zone of Avoidance.