Question Video: Describing the Milky Way Science • Third Year of Preparatory School

Video Transcript

The given picture shows a top-down view of the Milky Way. Which of the following best describes the shape of the Milky Way? Is it (A) a circle, (B) a spiral, or (C) a sphere?

The question gives us an image of the Milky Way, so we must find the best shape that describes the Galaxy. We know that the Milky Way is flat, so we cannot describe the shape as a sphere. That leaves a circle and a spiral as the best choices.

We can see that a circle approximately fits the outer shape of the Milky Way, but a spiral perfectly matches the swirling pattern in the Galaxy.

And so, we can say that the most correct answer is option (B). The shape of the Milky Way is a spiral.