The Milky Way and Other Galaxies in the Universe

A field guide to galactic structure, types and contents

Created by: Tony Ceraso
Astronomy

What Will I Learn?

• Our solar system is immense, but it gets lost in the vastness of our Milky Way Galaxy. Look at our place in the galaxy and our galaxy’s place in the universe. Examine the different kinds of galaxies including galaxy collisions and the black holes in the center.
• Objective and Warm-up Activity
• Perspective on Size and Distance
• Definition and characteristics of galaxies
• Description and location of the Milky Way Galaxy
• Galaxy clusters, as well as the number of galaxies and stars in the universe
• The local group of galaxies
• Dwarf galaxies
• Magellanic Clouds
• Hemispheres
• Seasons and Earth's axis
• Types of galaxies: spiral, irregular, elliptical
• Logarithmic spirals and universal recurring patterns
• Types of galaxies: barred spiral and lenticular
• Causes of galactic shape
• Black holes and supermassive black holes
• Observing galaxies in different lights, such as infrared
• Scientist Edwin Hubble and the Hubble Space Telescope
• Cepheid variable stars and calculating distances
• Dark Matter and Dark Energy
• Star Clusters
• Nebulae: emission, planetary and reflection
• Naming conventions
• Test Questions and Activities

Requirements

• None

Target audience

• Anyone who wants to know more about Astronomy