How the Milky Way works

Our Milky Way galaxy is a swirling dance of hundreds of billions of stars, dust, and gas, all held together by gravity's invisible grip. This cosmic ballet plays out on a grand scale, with a central bulge at its heart and long, spiral arms stretching outwards. Within these arms, vast clouds of gas and dust collapse under their own weight, igniting new stars like fiery beacons. The galaxy isn't static, though. Stars zip around the center at incredible speeds, while the entire Milky Way slowly rotates. It's a delicate balance between the crush of gravity pulling inwards and the outward push from the galaxy's spin, creating a dynamic and ever-evolving celestial masterpiece.