Milky Way

• Home galaxy of nearly all known civilizations
• Barred spiral galaxy with estimated diameter of 100,000 ly
  • Four major spiral arms
    • Sagittarius-Carina arm
      • Commonly known as Sagittarius arm, Carina arm
      • Orion-Cygnus minor arm
        • Location of Sol, nearest civilizations
    • Crux-Scutum arm
      • Commonly known as Crux arm
    • Norma arm
    • Perseus arm
  • Divided astrometrically into four quadrants
• Surrounded by the Galactic Barrier (TOS: "Where No Man Has Gone Before", "By Any Other Name", "Is There in Truth No Beauty?")
• Formed c.13.56 billion ya (TNG Novel: The Buried Age)