galaxy
GAL-uhk-see
/ˈɡæləksi/
A massive system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and dark matter, all bound together by gravity.
Refers to a distinct, large-scale collection of stars, distinct from the 'universe' which encompasses all galaxies.
The story behind the word. The word 'galaxy' comes from the Greek `galaxias kyklos`, meaning 'milky circle.' This refers specifically to our own Milky Way, which appears as a milky band of light across the night sky. The Greeks thought it looked like spilled milk, a charmingly poetic origin for our cosmic home.
Word relationships
- star system: Less common for a full galaxy; more often refers to a star and its orbiting planets.
Commonly confused with
- universe: The universe is the totality of existence, containing countless galaxies. A galaxy is a component of the universe.
Word family
- galactic (adjective): relating to a galaxy.
Collocations
- spiral galaxy
- elliptical galaxy
- irregular galaxy
- neighboring galaxy
- distant galaxy
Example sentences
- "Our solar system resides within the Milky Way galaxy, a spiral-shaped collection of billions of stars." Describing our home galaxy.
- "From the depths of the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, astronomers have observed thousands of distant galaxies, each a universe unto itself." Discussing astronomical observations.
Memory hook
Think of GALlons of milk spilled across the sky, forming the 'Milky Way' galaxy. GAL-axy = Milky Way.
When not to use
Do not use 'galaxy' when referring to a single star system (like our solar system) or the entire universe.
Fun facts
- The Milky Way is on a collision course with the Andromeda galaxy, expected in about 4.5 billion years.
- There are estimated to be hundreds of billions of galaxies in the observable universe.
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