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Milky Way
The galaxy that contains our Solar System, characterized by its barred spiral structure with multiple spiral arms extending from a central bar.
Source: esa.int
APODs including "Milky Way"
Galaxy Dwingeloo 1 Emerges
17/10/1995
Image Credit: NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
If you look closely at the center of the above photograph, you will see a spiral galaxy behind the field of stars. Named Dwingeloo 1, this nearby galaxy was only discovered recently (1994) because much of its light was obscured by dust, gas and bright stars of our own Milky Way galaxy. In fact, all the individually discernible stars in the above photograph are in our Galaxy. Dwingeloo 1 turned out to be a large galaxy located only five times as distant as the closest major galaxy - M31.