Yahoo Web Search

Search results

1. Dictionary

   gal·ax·y

   /ˈɡaləksē/

   noun

   • 1. a system of millions or billions of stars, together with gas and dust, held together by gravitational attraction. Similar star systemsolar systemconstellationclusternebulaspiral galaxySeyfert galaxystarsheavens
   • ▪ the galaxy of which the solar system is a part; the Milky Way.
   • ▪ a large group of impressive people or things: "the four musicians have played with a galaxy of stars" Similar brilliant gatheringdazzling assemblageillustrious grouphostmultitudearraymassbevyhordecompanyarmyflockgroup

   Word Origin late Middle English (originally referring to the Milky Way): via Old French from medieval Latin galaxia, from Greek galaxias (kuklos) ‘milky (vault)’, from gala, galakt- ‘milk’.

   Scrabble Points: 17

   • G

     2

   • A

     1

   • L

     1

   • A

     1

   • X

     8

   • Y

     4

   Powered by Oxford Dictionaries

   More definitions, origin and scrabble points

2. spaceplace.nasa.gov › galaxy › enWhat Is a Galaxy? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids

   spaceplace.nasa.gov › galaxy › en

   • Cached

   Jun 13, 2024 · A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems. A galaxy is held together by gravity. Our galaxy, the Milky Way, also has a supermassive black hole in the middle.

3. en.wikipedia.org › wiki › GalaxyGalaxy - Wikipedia

   en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Galaxy

   • Cached

   A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and dark matter bound together by gravity. [1] [2] The word is derived from the Greek galaxias ( γαλαξίας ), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System.

4. www.britannica.com › science › galaxyGalaxy | Definition, Formation, Types, Properties, & Facts

   www.britannica.com › science › galaxy

   • Cached

   Jun 23, 2024 · galaxy, any of the systems of stars and interstellar matter that make up the universe. Many such assemblages are so enormous that they contain hundreds of billions of stars. Nature has provided an immensely varied array of galaxies, ranging from faint, diffuse dwarf objects to brilliant spiral-shaped giants.

5. earthsky.org › astronomy-essentials › definition-what-is-a-galaxyWhat’s a galaxy? All you need to know - EarthSky

   earthsky.org › astronomy-essentials › definition-what-is-a-galaxy

   • Cached

   May 21, 2024 · What is a galaxy? A galaxy is a vast island of gas, dust and stars in an ocean of space. Typically, galaxies are millions of light-years apart. Galaxies are the building...

6. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › galaxyGalaxy Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › galaxy

   • Cached

   The system of stars that includes our sun looks, in the night sky, like a broad band of light. We call this band the Milky Way. The idea of the whiteness of the Milky Way being similar to that of milk is much older than the English language, however.

7. www.khanacademy.org › galaxies › aWhat Is a Galaxy? (article) | Galaxies | Khan Academy

   www.khanacademy.org › galaxies › a

   • Cached

   Galaxies are titanic swarms of tens of millions to trillions of stars, orbiting around their common center of gravity. They also contain interstellar gas and dust. Galaxies show a range of shapes that astronomers group into three basic classes: spiral, elliptical, and irregular.

8. science.nasa.gov › universe › galaxiesGalaxies - NASA Science

   science.nasa.gov › universe › galaxies

   • Cached

   Galaxy Basics. Galaxies consist of stars, planets, and vast clouds of gas and dust, all bound together by gravity. The largest contain trillions of stars and can be more than a million light-years across. The smallest can contain a few thousand stars and span just a few hundred light-years.