If comparing galaxy populations, how is the Milky Way's size relative to the total number of galaxies in the universe?
Answer
It is far from typical because many more small, dim galaxies exist
Although the Milky Way is often used as a benchmark galaxy because it is large and hosts hundreds of billions of stars, when compared against the totality of cosmic structures, it is not typical in terms of prevalence. The text notes that while galaxies range from dwarf galaxies with millions of stars up to giant ellipticals with trillions, the overall census reveals that there are significantly more small, dim galaxies than there are large, massive structures analogous to the Milky Way. This distribution means that most galaxies are considerably less massive and less luminous than our own immediate stellar city.
#Videos
Half Of All Universe's Stars Are Not Part Of A Galaxy - YouTube
Related Questions
What term is used to describe the population of stars drifting independently in intergalactic space?What common mechanism is cited as flinging a star out of a galaxy's main gravitational well?Approximately how many stars are known to constitute the Milky Way galaxy?Why is the detection of a star floating in the absolute blackness of intergalactic space so profoundly difficult for astronomers?Where do stars primarily originate from collapsing clouds of gas and dust?By what factor is the star density inside a galaxy like the Milky Way greater than the density of rogue stars in the IGM?Besides 'rogue stars', what is another term used to describe the population of stars adrift without a definitive host galaxy?What are the four key components used to define a galaxy as a massive collection of matter?If comparing galaxy populations, how is the Milky Way's size relative to the total number of galaxies in the universe?What analogy is used to illustrate the concept of a star being 'slingshotted' out of its gravitational system?