The Milky Way galaxy, our home galaxy, is a vast spiral-shaped collection of stars, gas, dust, and other celestial objects. It is difficult to determine the precise location of the "edge" of the galaxy because galaxies do not have a clearly defined boundary. However, astronomers estimate that the diameter of the Milky Way is approximately 100,000 to 150,000 light-years.
The distance from the Earth to the center of the Milky Way is estimated to be around 25,000 to 28,000 light-years. This is the distance from our solar system to the core of the galaxy, where a supermassive black hole named Sagittarius A* resides. It's important to note that the distance to the center is not the same as the distance to the outer edge of the Milky Way.
The exact extent of the Milky Way beyond our solar system is still a subject of ongoing scientific research and exploration. The galaxy's spiral arms, where most of its stars and gas are concentrated, extend from the center, gradually tapering off. However, the distribution of stars and other components continues even beyond the spiral arms. The outer regions of the galaxy are more diffuse, containing fewer stars and lower densities of interstellar material.
To visualize the size and shape of the Milky Way, imagine a vast, flattened disk with a central bulge and spiral arms. The galaxy extends far beyond the region where the majority of stars are concentrated, but defining a precise boundary or edge is challenging due to the gradual decrease in stellar density as we move away from the galactic center.
As our understanding of the Milky Way continues to improve through observations and research, we gain more insights into its structure and the extent of its various components.