A galaxy is made up of stars, planets and other elements.
A galaxy is an element of considerable size that is composed of a number of stars , planets , interstellar dust, gases and particles subject to variations . The notion has its origin in the Latin galaxĭas which, in turn, comes from a term of Greek origin, according to the detail disclosed in the dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) ,
Within galaxies, multiple structures can be recognized, including multiple star systems , nebulae , and star clusters . From Earth , all the stars that are visible without the need to observe them with special equipment make up our own galaxy, which is known as the Milky Way .
The Milky Way, our galaxy
The Milky Way belongs to a group of about forty galaxies called the Local Group . It has a mass of 1012 solar masses and an average diameter of about 100,000 light years. Experts estimate that our galaxy contains approximately 200,000 to 400,000 million stars.
The stars that are nucleated within a given galaxy establish a gravitational interaction and orbit around a common center. In the case of the Milky Way, the central axis is the sun.
Classification according to shape
It should also be noted that galaxies can vary in shape. In this way, we can recognize irregular galaxies (which reflect perturbations generated by the gravitational attraction of other nearby galaxies), elliptical galaxies (with the appearance of an ellipse) and spiral galaxies (with a circular structure and curved arms wrapped in dust), for example.
Intergalactic space , on the other hand, is made up of a gas with an average density of less than one atom per cubic meter. Galaxies generally have various aggregates (known as clusters ) that, in turn, have the capacity to develop other larger aggregates (called superclusters ).
Galaxies can have different shapes.
Operation Galaxy
The term galaxy has been and is fundamental not only in the astronomical field but in many others. Thus, for example, we can underline that historically it was part of the nomenclature, Operation Galaxy , under which an attempted coup plot in Spain in 1978 was hidden.
Specifically, the plan was aimed at halting the political reforms that the then President of the Government ( Adolfo Suárez ) intended to undertake with the clear objective of strongly supporting the establishment of democracy. Various members of the State Forces and Corps were the ones who planned the coup d'état, which was scheduled to take place on November 11, 1978. However, it failed because some of those who attended the meeting to carry it out reported it to their superiors and it was aborted.
A classic of cinema
In the same way, when talking about the galaxy it is inevitable to think about cinema, since in this artistic field there is a saga that revolves around it and that has managed to become a true classic. We are referring to the well-known "Star Wars" , which has as its scriptwriter and director the great George Lucas .
This series of films, a trilogy and a later trilogy that acts as a prequel, has a multitude of fans all over the world. It revolves around the republic that exists in a galaxy and the rebel movement that arises against it. All of this, with characters that are already legendary in the history of cinema such as Princess Leia , Darth Vader and Han Solo as protagonists.