What analogy is used to describe the thinness of the galactic disk?
Answer
A vinyl record
To provide a tangible sense of the galactic disk's structure, the text compares it to a vinyl record. While a vinyl record appears very thin when viewed from the side, it possesses a measurable thickness. Similarly, the galactic disk, while structurally flattened and highly diffuse, is not infinitely thin and has a discernible depth, though it is incredibly thin relative to its vast diameter, exhibiting an extreme aspect ratio.

#Videos
Skylight: How Does Our Solar System Move Around the Milky Way ...
Related Questions
What is the approximate diameter of the Milky Way galaxy structure?What classification describes the Milky Way galaxy's structure?Where is the Sun and its solar system located within the Milky Way disk?Which component contains the majority of gas, dust, and younger stars?What analogy is used to describe the thinness of the galactic disk?What is the zero point of latitude in the galactic coordinate system?Which celestial objects often follow highly eccentric or inclined orbits through the plane?What visual appearance results from looking towards the galactic center (Sagittarius)?Why do astronomers intentionally point telescopes away from the galactic plane to view distant galaxies?What natural process caused the gas and dust cloud to settle into the flattened galactic configuration?