1/2 The local arm of the Milky Way and our Sun's place in it for now. Ken Croswell

Photo:  Our spiral arm is formally called the Orion-Cygnus Arm. It's also known simply as the Orion Arm or Local Arm, and you sometimes still hear the names Orion Bridge or Orion Spur. Th Milky Way is a spiral galaxy. In fact, the Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy, which means it has a central bar.  Here:  Observed structure of the Milky Way's spiral arms.


1/2  The local arm of the Milky Way and our Sun's place in it for now. Ken Croswell

Inner Workings: Astronomers are redrawing our corner of the Milky Way

     We live in a giant barred spiral galaxy. The Milky Way’s fast-spinning disk of stars and gas whips up spiral arms that spawn new suns, while a bar of mostly older stars cuts through its heart. From afar, our galaxy likely resembles a glowing cosmic hurricane.