AST 2002 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Star System, List Of Largest Galaxies, Dwarf Planet
Document Summary
Ancestors imagined earth to be at the center of the universe. Now we know that earth is a planet that orbits the sun. Our solar system consists of the sun, the planets and their moons, and countless smaller objects that include rocky asteroids and icy comets. Our solar system belongs to a larger collection of stars called the milky way galaxy. Galaxy- a great island of stars in space, containing millions, billions, or even trillions of stars. The milky way contains more than 100 billion stars. Our solar system is located a little more than halfway from the galactic center to the edge of the galactic disk. Some galaxies are isolated but many are found in groups. The milky way is one of the 2 largest galaxies of the 70 in the local group. Galaxies and clusters are arranged in chains and sheets with voids between them.
