GALAXIES Reading Comprehension

Overview
A galaxy is a massive complex, or system, of stars, remnants of stars, an interstellar medium of gas
and dust, and dark matter. Some include multiple star systems, clusters, and interstellar clouds.
Galaxies are bound by gravity and contain millions to trillions of stars. The size of some galaxies are
measured in units called parsecs, while others are measured in light-years. One parsec is equivalent
to about 19 trillion miles (31 trillion kilometers). An average galaxy may extend from 1,000100,000
parsecs. A light-year is the distance that light travels in an Earth year. Light travels at nearly 300,000
kilometers per second (180,000 miles). If you were to calculate the actual size of a galaxy using
numbers rather than the aforementioned units, the resulting figure would be impossible to understand
or conceptualize. Galaxies are usually separated by spaces that extend over millions of parsecs.
These vast spaces are called intergalactic spaces. Despite the vast distances between them,
galaxies are often organized into clusters and superclusters. Clusters and superclusters are then
organized into sheets and filaments. A filament, defined as structures that form the boundaries
between large voids in the universe, are the largest known structures in the universe.

Types of Galaxies
Galaxies are usually classified according to their shape. Elliptical galaxies are round; spiral galaxies
are characterized by their long, spiraling arms; and peculiar galaxies are shaped irregularly, likely
because of the gravitational pull of a nearby galaxy. Scientists estimate the presence of 100 billion
galaxies in the universe.

Dark Matter
About 90 percent of the mass of an average galaxy is made of up mysterious, invisible masses called
dark matter. Dark matter is hypothetical; its actual existence is simply scientific and mathematical
conjecture (educated guess). Only its gravitational effects on visible objects can be observed (such
as the rotational curves of spiral galaxies). Some scientists think dark matter is concentrated in huge
masses such as black holes.

Our Galaxy
Our solar system lies within the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way galaxy contains over 200 billion
stars and has a diameter of up to 120,000 light-years. Our solar system orbits around the Milky Way
once every 200250 million years. You can see the Milky Way galaxy on a clear night. It looks like a
milky-white band across the night sky. The center of the galaxy is located in the direction of the
constellation Sagittarius. The Milky Way is thought to be nearly as old as the universe itself. Some
estimates age the galaxy at over 13 billion years. It is part of a cluster of galaxies known as the Local
Group. Two smaller galaxies and a number of dwarf galaxies actually orbit the Milky Way, the largest
of which is called the Large Magellanic Cloud. Considered an irregular galaxy, the Large Magellanic
Cloud is thought to be about 160,000 light-years away from the Milky Way. Although our Milky Way is
ten times larger, scientists estimate that 10 billion suns could fit in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The
galaxy was first observed by explorer Ferdinand Magellan, whom the galaxy is named for, and looks
like a small night cloud in the Southern Hemisphere.


1.) The shape of irregular galaxies is likely 6.) Our galaxy is part of a group of galaxies
caused by the _____ of nearby galaxies. called the ____.

a.) gravitational pull a.) Milky Way
b.) orbit b.) Large Magellanic Cloud
c.) size c.) Solar System
d.) rotation d.) Local Group

2.) The largest known structures in the 7.) Galaxies are measured in units called
universe are called _____. ____.

a.) sheets a.) meters
b.) filaments b.) parsecs
c.) galaxies c.) miles
d.) solar systems d.) dark matter

3.) A light-year is the _____ in which light 8.) The existence of dark matter is
travels in one year. "hypothetical." What does hypothetical
mean in this instance?
a.) distance
b.) speed a.) impossible
c.) volume b.) definite
d.) velocity c.) calculated
d.) possible
4.) The Large Magellanic Cloud is a ____
that orbits the _____. 9.) Galaxies are mostly made of __.

a.) galaxy; sun a.) constellations
b.) star; Milky Way b.) planets
c.) galaxy; Milky War c.) stars
d.) star; sun d.) dark matter

5.) Spaces in between galaxies are called 10.) Galaxies are normally classified by
_____. their ____.

a.) solar systems a.) age
b.) clusters b.) shape
c.) intergalactic spaces c.) size
d.) interstellar clouds d.) stars