PRESCRIBE Command Reference
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!R! XBAR; The Milky Way is a gravitationally bound
collection of roughly a hundred billion stars. Our Sun is
one of these stars and is located roughly 24,000 light years
(or 8000 parsecs) from the center of our the Milky Way.
The Galaxy has three major components. A thin disk
consisting of young and intermediate age stars - this disk
also contains gas and is actively forming new stars. Dust in
the disk makes it appear orange in the picture. Dust absorbs
blue light more than red light and thus makes stars appear
reddish. Our Galaxy has spiral arms in its disk - these
spiral arms are regions of active star formation.;ENDB;