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The Solar System and the Milky Way are two different astronomic objects.

The Solar System, is our Sun (Solar) and it collection of nine planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Asteroid Belt, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, together with their associated satellites(Moons), and localised comets, such as Halley's Comet.

The whole of this system is contained in one of the 'curved' tails of our Galaxy, named the Milky Way.

The Milky Way is so large that it contains millions of stars and probably millions of planets associated with those stars. The nearest star to the Sun is 'alpha/proxima' centauri, which is 4.3 light years away. This star is also contained in the Milky Way. The word 'proxima'' is Latin and means nearest.

The Milky Way Galaxy is shaped like a giant Catherine Wheel Correctly described as Barred Spiral Galaxy. It contains 400,000,000,000 (400 billion stars). It is some 87,400 light years across. Most of the constellations seen in the night sky are in the Milky Way Galaxy. There is a core of stars etc., and two curved tails. Our Solar System is contained in one of the curved tails. Like the planets in the Solar System revolve round the Sun, the Milky Way Galaxy also revolves. It takes 212 million years to make one rotation of the Milky Way.

There are millions of other galaxies in the universe, which to the naked eye appear to be stars

The Solar System appears to be very large, but compared to the Milky Way it is miniscule. We are only a dot point in the whole.

Hope that helps you to distinguish the Solar system from the Milky Way Galaxy.

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lenpollock

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7mo ago
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12y ago

Because quite simply, we are within it.

If we were out side of our Galaxy, then we could "see" the spiral shape.

But don't expect to see it for a longgggg time. It's over 25,000 light years to the edge and a lot further if you want to see it, in it's entirety. All images are artists impressions.

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12y ago

We can't see the spiral shape of the Milky Way because we're inside the galaxy. Also, there is so much dust that our view of the galaxy is extremely limited. All we can see from earth are a couple of the Milky Way's arms.

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13y ago

It isn't. The Solar System is the name of our solar system. The Milky Way is the name of our galaxy.

Just in case you don't know, the difference between a solar system and a galaxy is that a solar system is a star and a group of planets and other objects. A Galaxy is a grouping of stars and solar systems.

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13y ago

The Milky Way is not a part of the solar system; rather, the solar system is part of the milky way. The milky way is like a bolt in an airplane - the airplane is not part of the bolt, but the bolt is part of the plane. There are millions of solar systems within the milky way.

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13y ago

You see, Earth and our solar system are currently on the outer rim of the galaxy, but that's not the main reason at all. The galaxy is so vast, it's shape isn't visible from Earth. However, thanks to satellites, we are able to see what our galaxy is shaped like as well as many other galaxies.

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15y ago

We are smaller than a speck relative to the galaxy itself. Not every planetary system in the galaxy is oriented in the same way. The Milky Way appears as it does because of the inclination of earth's equatorial plane (celestial equator) to the galactic plane. We are near the galactic plane, but it would be stranger than strange if every planet in the galaxy had its equatorial plane or ecliptic right on the galactic plane.

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9y ago

The Milky Way is a galaxy. Globular clusters are very old and tight clusters of stars. Globular clusters are much smaller than galaxies, and therefore are usually found within galaxies, orbiting the center just as every other star in the galaxy does. There are, however, sometimes very odd globular clusters that orbit the center of a galaxy great distances outside of the main visible part of a galaxy in what is called the Halo of the galaxy.

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14y ago

It's all because of gravity. Gravity is the only force that is present in any body with mass, and can act over long distances. It is also the only force that we have observed so far to completely destroy the travel at the speed of light. The Milky way is a galaxy, and is somewhere around 60 quadrillion (6 with 19 zeros!) miles in diameter. The layout of it is that it has several circular/elliptical arcs emerging from the center so that is looks like a whirlpool. It spins too! At the center, there is theorized to be a supermassive black hole which commands awesome gravitational power.

Now lets look at the similarities between the solar system and the milky way. However, before we start I would like to make one thing clear, as did the last answerer. The Solar System is situated in the Milky Way. And it's only 24 trillion miles in diameter (18 billion if you only count planetary orbits).

So onto the similarities. You may have noticed both the Milky way and the Solar System have a large body with gravitational powers at its center. You may also have noticed I repeatedly used the word diameter, implying circular shape. You may ALSO have made the connection between spinning as in planetary orbits, and the milky way "spinning", which incidentally, is a childish representation of stellar orbits in the Galaxy. Since you know the Sun's gravity keeps the Earth in orbit and inside the solar system, I think you would draw the conclusion that the Milky way's gravity (and centripetal force) keeps the Solar System inside it.

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12y ago

Well. The solar system from Mercury to Pluto is 32 years across. The solar system is full of stars and planets and it has the sun that also is a star that will burn into a red giant in just 4.5 billion years! and gobble up Mercury, venus and earth. The milky way is full of stars and is the main source for stars in our galaxy. About 100,000 light years away. (186,000 Miles Per Second) (670,000,000 Miles Per Hour) A light year is traveling at 186,000 miles per second or 670,000,000 Miles per hour for a whole year. except we don't have the right things yet to travel at light speed.

More simply put.. our solar system includes our sun and 8 planets.. This solar system resides in the Milky Way galaxy which is waaaaaay larger!

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Q: Why is the solar system also called the milky way?
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Which galaxy does the sun belong to?

These are the basics. Our sun is the star at the center of our solar system. A solar system is made up of a star and any other objects connected to it by its gravity. Our sun has the standard eight planets along with their moons, and also countless other objects including asteroids and comets. Our galaxy, The Milky Way, is estimated to contain between 200 billion and 400 billion stars. Some of those stars have planets orbiting them, and others do not. Our solar system then is just a very very tiny part of the Milky Way, and the Milky Way is one of billions of observable galaxies throughout space.


What is it called when the earth is in the center of the solar system?

The name of our planet is the Earth. The name of our moon is the Moon. The name of our solar system is the Solar System. I capitalize them, because when used as names, they are proper nouns. This also helps us distinguish between the planet Earth and earth (meaning soil), between the Earth's Moon and moon (meaning the natural satellite of a planet), and between our Solar System and any other solar systems (since any system containing a star and a planet or a planet-forming disk can be called a solar system.) The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System.


Are planets in the galaxy?

Pluto may be found about 40 astronomical units away from the star Sol. You could also say it is about 328 light minutes from Sol. Sol itself is in one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way galaxy, about 2/3rds from the center.


Name of star in your solar system?

The Sun, or as it is also called: Sol.


How your planet is part of a larger system?

Our planet, Earth, is part of a larger system known as the solar system. It revolves around the Sun along with other celestial bodies such as planets, asteroids, and comets. The solar system itself is a part of the Milky Way galaxy, which is just one of billions of galaxies in the universe.

Related questions

Is the Milky Way part osf the solor system?

NO, it is the solar system whichis part of the Milky Way Galaxy. There's also the faint band of many stars that's called the Milky Way. That's a long way from the solar system, but within the Milky Way Galaxy.


Your solar system is located in what galaxy?

My solar system (which is also yours) is located in what is officially known as the Milky Way galaxy.


Which galaxy does the sun belong to?

These are the basics. Our sun is the star at the center of our solar system. A solar system is made up of a star and any other objects connected to it by its gravity. Our sun has the standard eight planets along with their moons, and also countless other objects including asteroids and comets. Our galaxy, The Milky Way, is estimated to contain between 200 billion and 400 billion stars. Some of those stars have planets orbiting them, and others do not. Our solar system then is just a very very tiny part of the Milky Way, and the Milky Way is one of billions of observable galaxies throughout space.


When the solar system pases through the plane of the milky way galaxy In December 2012 will all the planets and also your sun have pole shifts?

First of all the solar system is already in the plane of the Milky Way, also no catastrophe will happen in 2012, its an internet urban legend.


Are there planets outside your Solar system?

Yes, there are over 200 more planets outside the solar system, these planets are called extrasolar planets. There are also more then 170 solar systems inside of the Milky Way, on average astronomers find around 25 new planets a year.


Is our solar system also our galaxy or is there more than one solar system in the milky way?

No, our Solar System is not the galaxy. Our Solar System is the Sun, and the planets around it (plus a few other objects, such as asteroids and comets). Our Sun (the center of our Solar System) is a star; in the galaxy there are several hundred billion stars, each of which might be called a solar system. At least if it is confirmed that it has planets - but it has already been confirmed that many stars in our neighborhood have planets.


What is it called when the earth is in the center of the solar system?

The name of our planet is the Earth. The name of our moon is the Moon. The name of our solar system is the Solar System. I capitalize them, because when used as names, they are proper nouns. This also helps us distinguish between the planet Earth and earth (meaning soil), between the Earth's Moon and moon (meaning the natural satellite of a planet), and between our Solar System and any other solar systems (since any system containing a star and a planet or a planet-forming disk can be called a solar system.) The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains our Solar System.


Are planets in the galaxy?

Pluto may be found about 40 astronomical units away from the star Sol. You could also say it is about 328 light minutes from Sol. Sol itself is in one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way galaxy, about 2/3rds from the center.


Is the earth in space?

Yes the Earth and out solar system is in space they are also in the Milky Way galaxy along with hundreds of billions of other stars.


Does the sun revolute?

yes the sun revolutes because the enormous gravitational pull from the center of our galaxy,the Milky Way.the black hole in between the Milky Way lets the stars in the galaxy stay without it they would fall.the the sun revolutes so the solar system also revolutes by the gravitational pull by the sun it takes solar system 225 million years to revolve around Milky Way


Name of star in your solar system?

The Sun, or as it is also called: Sol.


Which planet's moon is the largest satellite in our solar system?

Jupiter. Its largest moon is called Ganymede, this is also the largest moon in our solar system.