Beautiful Timelapse of the Night Sky with Reflections in a Lake

When you observe the night sky with your eyes, you can see the Moon, perhaps several planets, and many stars. If you are in a particularly dark location and if the moonlight is not too bright, you may also see a faint band of light that stretches from horizon to horizon. This pale, white glow has been called the Milky Way for centuries. The word “Galaxy” actually means Milky Way. If you look galaxy up in the dictionary, you will find that the root of this word comes from the Greek and Latin words for milk. I often like to ask students if they know the scientific name for the sugar in milk -- most have heard of lactose, but fewer have heard of galactose. If someone comes up with galactose, though, I try to make the connection between that sugar and our name for the structure in space in which we live.