The Milky Way Galaxy is our home. Our sun is just one star in this vast collection of billions. All of the stars that we see scattered across the night sky are also a part of this collection, and so whenever we look out and see the stars we are in fact looking out at a part of the galaxy we inhabit. If the skies are particularly dark a beautiful misty milk-coloured band that arches across the night sky and gives the galaxy its name will be visible. The light creating this misty band is formed by stars that cannot be resolved individually with the naked eye. It might even be possible to see dark patches obscuring the band these patches are caused by dust blocking out the light. Given the magnificent scale and striking appearance of the Milky Way it is unsurprising that it is the subject of many myths. These myths indicate just how connected our ancestors felt to the skies. It can sometimes be difficult to feel that connection today due to light pollution, however, if we venture far enough away from this artificial light pollution to see the Milky Way, its hard not to feel a connection to the stars and the galaxy we live in.
