The Milky Way – our Galaxy
Abstract
In the night summer-autumn sky, we observe a diffuse, non-uniform band of light arching across the sky, which is called the Milky Way (Fig. 1). The name Milky Way is loan translated from Latin via lactea – "the milky way", which, in turn, is a translation from the Ancient Greek γαλακτος κύκλος – "the milky circle". This expression goes back to the ancient Greek legend about the milk splashed by the goddess Hera when she breastfed Hercules. According to a legend, the Milky Way, that is a dim diffuse band crossing the night sky, was used as an indicator by chumaks (wagoners) who wandered to the South for salt.
Odesa Astronomical Calendar 2024
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Pages
87-94
Published
15 December 2023
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Copyright (c) 2023 Odesa I. I. Mechnikov National University
Details about the available publication format: Calendar
Calendar
ISBN-13 (15)
978-617-689-569-5
