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Alberto is creating a model of the Milky Way galaxy. While doing his research, he reads about a new discovery in the galaxy.


Many scientists are working to map the Milky Way galaxy. One team recently found the location of a bright star-forming cloud in the galaxy that is 66,000 light years away from Earth, farther away than any object discovered so far. Scientists estimate that Earth's solar system is about 26,000 light years from the center of the Milky Way galaxy, which is around 100,000 light years across.

Alberto wants to mark the location of this star-forming cloud on his model of the Milky Way galaxy. Where should he place this new discovery?

on the same side of the galaxy as Earth

between the center of the galaxy and Earth

on the opposite side of the galaxy from Earth

in the center of the galaxy far away from Earth

1 answer

To determine where Alberto should place the location of the star-forming cloud that is 66,000 light years away from Earth in his model of the Milky Way galaxy, we need to consider the given distances:

  1. Earth's solar system is about 26,000 light years from the center of the Milky Way.
  2. The galaxy is approximately 100,000 light years across.
  3. The new discovery (the bright star-forming cloud) is located at a distance of 66,000 light years from Earth.

Since Earth's distance from the center is 26,000 light years and the total diameter is around 100,000 light years, the center of the Milky Way is approximately 26,000 light years away from Earth towards the galaxy's interior.

Now, if we examine the distance of the star-forming cloud:

  • It is 66,000 light years away from Earth.
  • Since the center is at 26,000 light years from Earth, that means the star-forming cloud is beyond the radius of the Milky Way, which is 50,000 light years from the center (half of the 100,000 light year diameter).

Thus, the star-forming cloud is located on the opposite side of the galaxy from Earth because it is farther than the total diameter/extent of the galaxy when measured from Earth.

Therefore, Alberto should place the star-forming cloud on the opposite side of the galaxy from Earth.