The Milky Way Got its Name From a Breastfeeding Goddess

Along with our own sun, the Milky Way galaxy that we call home contains 200 billion other stars. It's estimated to be 13.6 billion years old, making it slightly younger than the cosmos as a whole. Rumor has it that it resembles a Pringles potato chip. Of course, none of that explains why it is called the Milky Way.

The somewhat appetizing name has mythological roots, which is also where the names of the majority of objects in the universe originate. Roman deities Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. The term "via lactea," which means "road of milk," was formerly used by the Romans to refer to the Milky Way. On a clear night, the Milky Way is gorgeous and amazing if you can see it away from the city. In a manner, a road of milk is reminiscent of the flash of blazing white.

The Greeks, who came before the Romans, also used the name "galaxias kyklos," which roughly translates to "milky circle," to refer to a dairy product. What about the tale? Zeus brought a young Hercules to his wife Hera's house so that he may nurse while she slept. Hera was said to despise Hercules. Being a mortal, his mother pulled the infant away as soon as she spotted him and spilled milk all over the night sky. The Milky Way was thus created.