What is the estimated diameter of our home, the Milky Way galaxy?
Answer
Around 100,000 light-years
The Milky Way galaxy, despite being immense by terrestrial standards, has a defined physical scale when compared to larger structures like clusters. Its diameter is estimated to be around 100,000 light-years, although varying definitions of its outer halo might lead to slightly larger estimates. This figure serves as the baseline unit for comparison, contrasting sharply with the scale of the Virgo Cluster, which spans several million light-years across. Understanding the Milky Way’s 100,000 light-year extent helps contextualize the scale differences when it is compared to structures composed of thousands of such systems.
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Is The Milky Way In The Virgo Supercluster? - Physics Frontier
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