The Milky Way Galaxy

The first use of the English term "Milky Way" can be traced back to the 1380 work The House of Fame by Geoffrey Chaucer, a writer to be considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages. In The House of Fame, he wrote:

See yonder, lo, the Galaxyë
Which men clepeth the Milky Wey,
For hit is whyt.

In this topic, you will learn that he borrowed this name from earlier cultures who saw the beauty of the Milky Way long before the Middle Ages. Take a few moments to consider the name "Milky Way" and recall a night when you gazed into the sky. Then, use the Sketchpad web-based application from SKETCH.IO™ to create an image of what you think the Milky Way Galaxy looks like.