The Earth is located in the Milky Way Galaxy, specifically in one of its spiral arms known as the Orion Arm or Local Spur. The distance from the Earth to the center of the Milky Way can vary depending on the specific definition used for the center, but it is estimated to be around 26,000 to 28,000 light-years.
The orbital speed of the Earth around the center of the Milky Way is approximately 220 kilometers per second (km/s). This means that it takes the Earth about 225 to 250 million years to complete one orbit around the galactic center. This time period is often referred to as a galactic year or cosmic year.
As for other galaxies with similar characteristics to the Milky Way, there are indeed other spiral galaxies that share certain similarities. These galaxies typically have a disk-like structure with spiral arms and a central bulge, similar to the Milky Way. They also exhibit ongoing star formation activity in their spiral arms.
One notable example is the Andromeda Galaxy, also known as Messier 31 (M31). It is the closest spiral galaxy to the Milky Way and is often considered a sister galaxy to our own. The Andromeda Galaxy is slightly larger than the Milky Way and shares many structural and evolutionary features with it.
Additionally, other galaxies in the Local Group, such as the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) and several smaller dwarf galaxies, also exhibit some similarities to the Milky Way. However, it's important to note that each galaxy has its own unique characteristics and history, even if they share some general traits.