
Galaxy - Wikipedia
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 …
Galaxy | Definition, Formation, Types, Properties, & Facts | Britannica
May 31, 2025 · 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 …
What Is a Galaxy? | NASA Space Place – NASA Science for Kids
Jun 12, 2025 · What Is a Galaxy? The Short Answer: A galaxy is a huge collection of gas, dust, and billions of stars and their solar systems, all held together by gravity. We live on a planet …
Galaxies - NASA Science
May 2, 2025 · 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 …
What’s a galaxy? All you need to know - EarthSky
Mar 23, 2025 · 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 blocks of our universe.
What Is a Galaxy? - Scientific American
May 8, 2025 · Very generally speaking, galaxies are tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of light-years across and have millions to several trillions of stars. Our Milky Way, for example, …
How Galaxies Work | HowStuffWorks
Nov 8, 2023 · A galaxy is a large system of stars, gas (mostly hydrogen), dust and dark matter that orbits a common center and is bound together by gravity — you can think of them as …
What is a Galaxy? - sciencenewstoday.org
Mar 19, 2025 · The Basics: What Is a Galaxy, Really? At its core, a galaxy is a massive, gravitationally bound system consisting of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and …
What Are Galaxies? (With Understandable Details) - Owlcation
A galaxy is an astronomical unit composed of a cluster of stars, planets, and, in most or possibly all cases, a supermassive black hole. Indeed, other material also makes up the galaxy, …
Galaxies—facts and information | National Geographic
Apr 17, 2019 · Galaxies are sprawling systems of dust, gas, dark matter, and anywhere from a million to a trillion stars that are held together by gravity. Nearly all large galaxies are thought …