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MILKY WAY |
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OUR LOCAL NEIGHBOURHOOD The part of the Milky Way around the sun is home to many of the most sensational sights in the night sky. This is not simply because they are relatively near to us: some regions, such as the spectacular star-forming complex in Orion, would be "tourist attractions" anywhere in the Galaxy. Our local neighbourhood covers 5,000 light years around the Sun. It includes the star making up all the familiar constellations, such as Taurus, the Southern Cross, and, of course, Orion. It is mostly filled with the Orion or Local Arm, which was once thought to be a bridge between the Sagittarius and Perseus Arms, but is now known to be a spiral arm in its own right. Structure of the Orion Arm Starbirth dominates our neighbourhood, with "star factories" in the Orion complex and the North America and rho Ophiuchi Nebulas. Young stars abound, along with molecular clouds in which starbirth has yet to begin. There are also remains of stars that died young.
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