Podcast
Questions and Answers
What does the name 'Milky Way' describe?
What does the name 'Milky Way' describe?
- The appearance of a hazy band of light from Earth (correct)
- The location of star clusters
- The galaxy's flat shape
- A specific region in the Universe
Who first resolved the Milky Way into individual stars?
Who first resolved the Milky Way into individual stars?
- Heber Doust Curtis
- Galileo Galilei (correct)
- Harlow Shapley
- Edwin Hubble
What was the common belief about the Milky Way before the early 1920s?
What was the common belief about the Milky Way before the early 1920s?
- It was a spiral-shaped galaxy
- It contained only nearby stars
- It was the only galaxy in the Universe (correct)
- It was composed solely of gas and dust
What significant event in the 1920s changed the understanding of the Milky Way?
What significant event in the 1920s changed the understanding of the Milky Way?
What is the meaning of the term 'via lactea'?
What is the meaning of the term 'via lactea'?
Flashcards
Milky Way Galaxy
Milky Way Galaxy
The galaxy containing our Solar System; appears as a hazy band of light in the night sky.
Milky Way's appearance
Milky Way's appearance
A hazy band of light from stars too small to see individually without a telescope.
Early astronomer's view
Early astronomer's view
They believed the Milky Way held all the universe's stars.
Galileo's contribution
Galileo's contribution
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Galaxy's shape
Galaxy's shape
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Study Notes
Milky Way Galaxy
- The Milky Way is the galaxy containing our Solar System.
- Its name describes its appearance from Earth – a hazy band of light.
- This band is formed from stars too distant to be seen individually without a telescope.
- The name "Milky Way" is a translation from Latin (via lactea) and Greek (galaxÃas kýklos), meaning "milky circle".
- The band-like appearance is because Earth is located within the disk of the galaxy.
- Galileo Galilei, using a telescope, resolved the band of light into individual stars in 1610.
- Early astronomers believed the Milky Way contained all the universe's stars.
- The 1920s Great Debate between Harlow Shapley and Heber Curtis, along with Edwin Hubble's observations, proved the Milky Way is just one galaxy among many.
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