The Milky Way is the galaxy in which Earth is contained. This name derives from its appearance as a dim “milky” glowing band arching across the night sky, in which the naked eye cannot distinguish individual stars. The term “Milky Way” is a translation of the Classical Latin via lactea, from the Hellenistic Greek γαλαξίας κύκλος (pr. galaxías kýklos, “milky circle”). The Milky Way appears like a band because it is a disk-shaped structure being viewed from inside. The fact that this faint band of light is made up of stars was proven in 1610 when Galileo Galilei used his telescope to resolve it into individual stars. In the 1920s, observations by astronomer Edwin Hubble showed that the Milky Way is just one of many galaxies.



Milky Way over Switzerland



Milky Way over Ontario




Milky Way over the ancient rock paintings




Milky Way over the island of the archipelago Cook




Milky Way over Utah




The Milky Way above the crater lake




The Milky Way above the crater of Haleakala volcano on Maui, Hawaii




The Milky Way above the telescopes




The Milky Way above the Teton mountain range, Wyoming




The Milky Way above the volcano Piton de la Fournaise













Milky Way over Lake Jackson Lake and Tetons National Park