A Greek myth tells that the goddess Hera, wife of Zeusthe king of the gods, felt certain hatred towards Heracles (the Roman Hercules)a son that her husband had had with the mortal Alcmene.
One day, Hermes (the messenger of the gods) secretly took little Heracles to Olympus by order of Zeus. so that he could breastfeed from Hera’s breast while she slept with the goal of achieving immortality. The goddess suddenly woke up and abruptly withdrew her breast from the child.
The jet of milk that was ejected gave rise to the Milky Waywhich from Earth we see as a white band in the sky.
What is the Milky Way?
The Milky Way is a galaxy, a vast number of stars linked by gravity, that contains our Solar System (and, consequently, the Earth) and all the stars we see.
Specifically, it is a barred spiral galaxywith a central band of stars and four main spiral arms. It is estimated to have a diameter of more than 100,000 light years and an age of about 13.2 billion years.
We see it as a diffuse white stripe, but in reality it is made up of millions of stars (between 100,000 and 400,000 million), gas and dust. Many of the stars it contains have their own planetary systems.
At the center of the Milky Way there is a supermassive black hole which is known as Sagittarius A* and has a mass more than 4 million times that of the Sun. In this area there are an enormous amount of stars and gas, which creates a chaotic environment in which material is attracted towards the black hole.
Where is the Milky Way
The Milky Way is located in what is known as the Local Group of galaxies.which is part of the Virgo Supercluster, one of the many superclusters that exist in the universe and contains thousands of galaxies. In fact, the Virgo Supercluster is itself part of an even larger structure known as the Laniakea Supercluster.
The Milky Way is one of the largest galaxies in the Local Group, which includes about 54 galaxies, including the famous Andromeda Galaxy and Triangle Galaxy.
The Solar System, of which the Earth is a partis about 26,000 light years from the center of the Milky Way, in an area known as the Orion Armwhich is located between two larger arms: the Sagittarius Arm and the Perseus Arm. Earth’s position, in a relatively quiet area of the galaxy, allows us to have a unique perspective on its structure and composition.
How to see the Milky Way
From Earth we can see part of the Milky Waythe galaxy of which we are part. Specifically, what we see is an elongated strip that corresponds to the main plane.
In Spain, the best time to see the Milky Way is between March and Octoberespecially during summer months. As we have mentioned before, it is seen in the night sky as a whitish band. To locate it, it can be of great help to identify constellations close to the galactic core such as Scorpio (with its recognizable curved tail and the bright star Antares, the heart of the scorpion) or Sagittarius (shaped like a teapot, whose spout points directly towards the center of the Milky Way).
In the winter monthsthe northern hemisphere faces the outside the core of the Milky Waywhere the density of stars is much lower. Instead, you can enjoy other wonders in the night sky, such as the Orion Nebula or the Pleiades.
Recommendations to see the Milky Way
Use a mobile app or star map It can be of great help in locating the Milky Way or other objects in the sky.
Remember that, to see it well, it is better to go to a dark placefar from urban centers and its light pollutionand choose a day when the sky is clear and the moon is not very bright, as its light can affect the visibility of the stars.
It is also convenient let your eyes get used to the darkness for a few minutes. In addition, the use of binoculars, although not necessary, can improve the location and vision of the Milky Way.