Our Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy stretching roughly 100,000 light years across, yet humanity has only mapped it indirectly because we live inside it. Astronomers combine infrared surveys, radio emissions from hydrogen clouds, and precise stellar motion data from missions like Gaia to reconstruct its structure. Our Solar System orbits the galactic center once every 225 million years while drifting through the Orion Spur, a minor arm between Sagittarius and Perseus. Image Credit: Original galaxy map illustration by NASA/JPL-Caltech / Robert Hurt DM for removal :) MLA Source: Hurt, Robert. “Milky Way Galaxy Map.” NASA/JPL-Caltech, nasa.gov. Follow gravitonomy for more Science content. #science #space #galaxy #milkyway #astronomy