Galactic structure · ~230 Myr galactic year
The Solar Neighbourhood
The Sun's local patch of the Galaxy — the stars, gas, and structure within a few hundred light-years. It includes the Local Bubble, a cavity of hot, thin gas blown by ancient supernovae, and it is the vantage point from which we map the entire Milky Way, orbiting the Galactic Centre once every roughly 230 million years.
Galaxy, objects & concepts
Knowledge connections
- Associated withThe Sun
- Associated withThe Thin Disk
- Associated withGalactic Rotation
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.