How far is the Solar System located from the Milky Way's central bulge?
Answer
25,000 to 27,000 light-years
Our Solar System is situated within one of the Milky Way's minor spiral arms at a distance ranging between 25,000 and 27,000 light-years away from the dense, crowded central bulge of the galaxy. This location within the disk dictates our inability to view the entire galaxy structure directly. Understanding this specific radial distance is fundamental to mapping out the spiral structure, as observational data must account for the local position of the Sun relative to the galactic core when piecing together the overall three-dimensional layout.
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