How is the milky way different from other galaxies?
The Milky Way galaxy contains 200 to 400 billion stars and is 100,000 light years wide and 1,000 light years thick. The Milky Way galaxy is a barred spiral, and is only one of more than 3,000 visible galaxies.ShapeThe Milky Way galaxy is different in shape from most other galaxies. Elliptical galaxies are the most common, but are more difficult to see, because they are not as bright as spiral galaxies. The Milky Way galaxy has a large central bulge and spiral arms of stars, dust and black matter.SizeThe Milky Way galaxy is very large, relatively speaking. Most of the galaxies that are near the Milky Way galaxy are 10 times smaller than ours. In fact, most of the galaxies in the known universe are smaller than the Milky Way galaxy. Spiral galaxies tend to be similar in size, however, and elliptical galaxies are all different, ranging from the smallest to the largest galaxies in the known universe.Star AgeSpiral galaxies, like the Milky Way galaxy, differ from other galaxies by having mo
