The Milky Way galaxy is described as a disk of stars orbiting a central point on the disk. Which of these best explains why people on Earth cannot see the entire shape of the Milky Way?
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The reason why people on Earth cannot see the entire shape of the Milky Way is due to our position within the galaxy. To understand this, we need to consider the way the Milky Way is structured.
The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy, consisting of a flat, rotating disk of stars, gas, and dust. The disk is surrounded by a halo of stars and globular clusters, and there is a central region called the galactic bulge. Our solar system is located within the disk, about two-thirds of the way out from the center.
When we observe the night sky, we see the stars and other celestial objects that are visible from our vantage point on Earth. However, our view is obstructed by the vast amount of material within the Milky Way, such as stars, dust, and gas clouds. These objects scatter and absorb the light, creating what we call interstellar extinction or interstellar dust extinction. This effect makes it difficult to see beyond a certain distance within the galaxy.
Additionally, our position on Earth also limits our view due to the presence of the galactic bulge. The galactic bulge is a dense concentration of stars and dust near the center of the Milky Way, which obscures our line of sight. It blocks our view of the stars and structures that lie behind it, making it impossible to see the entire shape of the Milky Way.
To get a more accurate understanding of the shape of the Milky Way, astronomers use various techniques to study different wavelengths of light, such as radio waves and infrared light. These observations allow them to penetrate through the dust and gas, revealing more of the structure of our galaxy.