The Milky Way and Our Neighbors

The quest to understand our Milky Way galaxy has been likened to trying to describe the layout of an unfamiliar house while being trapped inside an interior closet. Nevertheless, astronomers have been able to provide us a detailed view of our home galaxy.

Carrie Fitzgerald, a professor of astronomy and director of the Montgomery College Astronomical Observatory, describes the nature of the Milky Way and how we've been able to figure out its structure, even as we are embedded within it. Learn about the observations that have revealed the Milky Way's secrets, from its spiral arms and supermassive black hole, to the mysterious dark matter in which our galaxy is steeped Fitzgerald tells the story of how we've come to know the Milky Way, as well as the tantalizing puzzles that still remain hidden from view.