Our galaxy stretches across 100,000 light-years and contains somewhere between 100 to 400 billion stars.

It appears in our night skies as a long, hazy strip of light littered with celestial objects.

Here are the 25 photographs for your viewing pleasure.

The Milky Way as seen above New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki.

The Milky Way as seen above New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki.Photo: Tom Rae

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An artist’s concept of Sagittarius A*, surrounded by a flaring disk of hot gas.

An artist’s concept of the super-Neptune orbiting a star.

An artist’s impression of the Milky Way, seen edge-on.

Center Of The Milky Way

Artist’s concept of a CWISE J1249 ejected from a supernova

Milky Way Andromeda

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Alicia Witt in Urban Legend

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media during a guided tour of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts before leading a board meeting on March 17, 2025 in Washington, DC.

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Sharks

Animaid The Art Of Animation

Mon Mothma Genevieve O’reilly Tony Gilroy Andor Lucasfilm

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Alicia Witt in Urban Legend

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U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media during a guided tour of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts before leading a board meeting on March 17, 2025 in Washington, DC.

An image of a small disposable vape with a green case and mouth piece and visible oil in a clear container.

An image of a hand holding a black vape with a vibrant blue chamber where you can faintly see a laser.

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