Milky Way
noun
1
: a broad luminous irregular band of light that stretches completely around the celestial sphere and is caused by the light of myriads of faint stars
2
Examples of Milky Way in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Schedule your Milky Way pursuits for around five nights before and after a new moon to avoid lunar light.
—
Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 3 July 2025
Named for famed astronomer Vera Rubin, best known for discovering evidence of dark matter, the observatory will spend the next 10 years observing and collecting data on the southern night sky in our Milky Way and beyond.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 25 June 2025
New studies are skeptical Milky Way will be visible in May, over Memorial Day weekend, across US: When to see our galaxy
The team’s findings were published Wednesday, June 4, in the journal Science Advances.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 6 June 2025
How to view a vibrant Milky Way Galaxy Stargazers will soon be able to witness a dazzling celestial sight composed of billions of stars.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025
Dark matter pinwheels Galaxies like our Milky Way are famous for their sparkling spiral arms, dotted with diamond-like stars and full of glowing gas and dusty tendrils.
—Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
What this means, practically, is that many stars, nebulae and galaxies (and that includes our Milky Way) are much harder to see in humid air.
—A.k. Whitney, Oc Register, 4 June 2025
Related: The faintest star system orbiting our Milky Way may be dominated by dark matter
The new study found that instead of scattering, the filaments can lock in with each other and enhance themselves.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 20 May 2025
Binary systems are common in our Milky Way galaxy — about two-thirds of all stars (and brown dwarfs) are found in binary systems.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 May 2025
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Stephanie Vermillion, Outside Online, 3 July 2025
Named for famed astronomer Vera Rubin, best known for discovering evidence of dark matter, the observatory will spend the next 10 years observing and collecting data on the southern night sky in our Milky Way and beyond.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 25 June 2025
New studies are skeptical Milky Way will be visible in May, over Memorial Day weekend, across US: When to see our galaxy
The team’s findings were published Wednesday, June 4, in the journal Science Advances.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 6 June 2025
How to view a vibrant Milky Way Galaxy Stargazers will soon be able to witness a dazzling celestial sight composed of billions of stars.
—Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 6 June 2025
Dark matter pinwheels Galaxies like our Milky Way are famous for their sparkling spiral arms, dotted with diamond-like stars and full of glowing gas and dusty tendrils.
—Stephen Clark – Jun 6, ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025
What this means, practically, is that many stars, nebulae and galaxies (and that includes our Milky Way) are much harder to see in humid air.
—A.k. Whitney, Oc Register, 4 June 2025
Related: The faintest star system orbiting our Milky Way may be dominated by dark matter
The new study found that instead of scattering, the filaments can lock in with each other and enhance themselves.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 20 May 2025
Binary systems are common in our Milky Way galaxy — about two-thirds of all stars (and brown dwarfs) are found in binary systems.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Milky Way.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Milky%20Way. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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