Question 1

What is a galaxy?

Accepted Answer

A galaxy is a big collection of stars, planets, gas, and dust all held together by gravity. It's like a giant city of stars in space!

Question 2

How do galaxies help shape the universe?

Accepted Answer

Galaxies make up the universe and when they group together, they form even bigger structures like clusters. They help give the universe its shape, a bit like how towns make up a country.

Question 3

Why are galaxies different from each other?

Accepted Answer

Galaxies come in different shapes and sizes because they have different numbers of stars and types of gas. Some are spirals like pinwheels, and others look like big blobs!

Question 4

What holds galaxies together?

Accepted Answer

Gravity holds galaxies together. It's like an invisible force that pulls things towards each other, keeping the stars and planets in the galaxy from floating away.

Question 5

How big is a galaxy?

Accepted Answer

Galaxies can be really big and might be hundreds of thousands of light years across! That means if you traveled at the speed of light, it would take you many years to cross one.

Question 6

What would happen if galaxies didn't exist?

Accepted Answer

If galaxies didn't exist, there wouldn't be places for stars, planets, and us! Galaxies help organize the universe, making it the way it is now.

Question 7

How do galaxies form?

Accepted Answer

Galaxies form when gas and dust in space come together because of gravity. Over time, more stars join in, making the galaxy bigger.

Question 8

Do galaxies move?

Accepted Answer

Yes, galaxies are moving all the time! They can spin around and also move through space, a bit like how the planets move around the sun.

Question 9

Are there more than one type of galaxy?

Accepted Answer

Yes, there are different types of galaxies like spiral, elliptical, and irregular. They're named after the shapes they look like!

Question 10

What's the most famous galaxy?

Accepted Answer

The most famous galaxy is the Milky Way because that's where we live! It's a spiral-shaped galaxy with lots of stars, including our sun.

Question 11

Are galaxies far away from each other?

Accepted Answer

Yes, galaxies are very far apart. Even though they are huge, there's a lot of empty space in between them.

Question 12

How do we see galaxies if they're so far away?

Accepted Answer

We use telescopes to see galaxies. Telescopes make faraway things look closer and let us see galaxies even if they're millions of light years away.

Question 13

Do galaxies ever collide?

Accepted Answer

Yes, sometimes galaxies can crash into each other. When this happens, they can create beautiful new shapes and lots of new stars.

Question 14

What is dark matter in galaxies?

Accepted Answer

Dark matter is a mysterious stuff that we can't see, but it has gravity. It's important because it helps hold galaxies together.

Question 15

Can we live in other galaxies?

Accepted Answer

Right now, we can’t live in other galaxies because they are too far away. We have only just started to explore our own galaxy.

Question 16

How many galaxies are in the universe?

Accepted Answer

There are billions of galaxies in the universe! It's like trying to count the grains of sand on a beach.

Question 17

What are star clusters?

Accepted Answer

Star clusters are groups of stars that are really close together in a galaxy. They're like neighborhoods in a big city of stars.

Question 18

How do galaxies make new stars?

Accepted Answer

Galaxies make new stars when gas and dust come together and get really hot. This can start in big clouds of gas called nebulas.

Question 19

Do all stars belong to a galaxy?

Accepted Answer

Most stars do belong to a galaxy. It's rare, but some stars can wander off and be all alone in space.

Question 20

What is the biggest galaxy we know of?

Accepted Answer

The biggest galaxy we know of is called IC 1101. It's so huge it could fit hundreds of Milky Way-sized galaxies inside it!

The Impact of Galaxies on Cosmic Structure - 20 FAQs Explained Simply