Galactic structure
The Thin Disk
The flattened, rotating layer that holds most of the Milky Way's stars, gas, and dust, and where stars are still being born today. Only a few hundred parsecs thick but tens of thousands across, it contains the spiral arms and the young, metal-rich stars of the Galactic disc — the Sun among them.
Highlights
- ›Where the Sun and the spiral arms live
Galaxy, objects & concepts
Across the Galaxy
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Milky Way
- Associated withThe Spiral Arms
- Associated withThe Thick Disk
- Associated withThe Spiral Arms
- Associated withThe Solar Neighbourhood
- Associated withRadial Migration
- Associated withThe Galactic Habitable Zone
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.