Fast facts about the Milky Way | Things to Know

There may be trillions of galaxies in the universe, but that doesn’t mean the Milky Way isn’t special. In fact, large galaxies like our own are often the exception, not the norm, in a universe populated by a plethora of small and faint galaxies. Such small galaxies can serve as building blocks for larger galaxies or draw near to their hulking neighbors — indeed, scientists have now found nearly 60 small galaxies orbiting the Milky Way, and think there may be more scores more still undetected. Watch the video to find out more things to know about our galaxy.

Read more: The mighty Milky Way, The life and breath of galaxies

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Video Transcript:

The Milky Way is just one of an estimated 2 trillion galaxies in the universe. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t special.

Here are five facts to know about the Milky Way:

1. The Milky Way is really, really big. With a mass of at least 1 trillion suns, we’re a very large galaxy in a universe of mainly dwarf galaxies.

2. Our galaxy has quite a following. Astronomers have recently discovered scores of additional galaxies, all faint and obscure in our immediate neighborhood. Since 1925, we have continued to discover new satellite galaxies that orbit the Milky Way, with a current count of 59. The most massive of these — the Large Magellanic Cloud — has less than 1 percent the mass of our galaxy. It’s also one of two visible to the naked eye. Scientists think the total number of Milky Way satellite galaxies may be as high as 200.

3. Some of those satellite galaxies are really dark. In 2005 astronomers discovered the first ultra-faint dwarf galaxy. They have few stars and give off little light, making them extremely hard to identify.

4. Galaxies eat each other. The Milky Way didn’t start out as big as it is today. It came together from countless small galaxies, including many dwarf galaxies. And we keep growing. Many of our satellite galaxies are gradually being pulled into the Milky Way.

5. The Milky Way is on a collision course. Some scientists think that the Milky Way as we know it won’t exist in another 5 billion years or so. The Andromeda galaxy, our nearest similarly sized neighbor, is headed toward us. Eventually we’ll end up in a gravitational embrace and be pulled into an even more giant galaxy. The Milky Way will become even more special — a more massive and luminous super galaxy.