# Milky Way, not the candy bar **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 1, 2010, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milky-way-not-the-candy-bar/552292 "2010-09-01T18:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milky-way-not-the-candy-bar/552292/21 "2011-04-21T19:49:12Z")
When I saw this feature today on Yahoo! [http://video.yahoo.com/editorspicks-12135647/featured-24306389/the-mountain-24960678.html#crsl=%252Feditorspicks-12135647%252Ffeatured-24306389%252Fmilky-way-video-wows-web-24960678.html](http://video.yahoo.com/editorspicks-12135647/featured-24306389/the-mountain-24960678.html#crsl=%252Feditorspicks-12135647%252Ffeatured-24306389%252Fmilky-way-video-wows-web-24960678.html) I thought of this thread. Just for what that may be worth to those who were here last year. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milky-way-not-the-candy-bar/552292/22 "2011-04-21T20:09:50Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > To further clarify this, the term ‘Milky Way’ is used to describe two things. The galaxy we live in, and the hazy band of light across the night sky. The OP is using the latter definition. Interestingly, the term ‘galaxy’ (γαλάξια κύκλος) basically means ‘milky way’ (more like milky circle, strictly speaking). The same root ‘lac’ is found in Latin, where the term is _Via Lactea_, which also means ‘milky way’. ---
**Author:** ![Parenchyma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Parenchyma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Parenchyma)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milky-way-not-the-candy-bar/552292/23 "2011-04-22T04:02:39Z")
This site, [The World at Night](http://www.twanight.org/newTWAN/index.asp), has incredible pictures and videos from around the planet. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milky-way-not-the-candy-bar/552292/24 "2011-04-22T16:09:13Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > When I saw this feature today on Yahoo! > [Yahoo Entertainment](http://video.yahoo.com/editorspicks-12135647/featured-24306389/the-mountain-24960678.html#crsl=%252Feditorspicks-12135647%252Ffeatured-24306389%252Fmilky-way-video-wows-web-24960678.html) > I thought of this thread. > > Just for what that may be worth to those who were here last year. “Sorry, but this video is no longer available.” ---
**Author:** ![standingwave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@standingwave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/standingwave)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milky-way-not-the-candy-bar/552292/25 "2011-04-22T17:03:10Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > “Sorry, but this video is no longer available.” Try [this link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MZE3TCC3_w). ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milky-way-not-the-candy-bar/552292/26 "2011-04-22T17:51:54Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > Try [this link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MZE3TCC3_w). Same show I saw yesterday and the day before. Sorry about the dead link. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milky-way-not-the-candy-bar/552292/27 "2011-04-22T17:54:49Z")
> [@standingwave](#): > > Try [this link](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MZE3TCC3_w). That one works, thanks. (There’s a lot of scenes with trees, flowers, clouds, and what-not. Almost half of it. Still, nature is beautiful.) ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2011, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milky-way-not-the-candy-bar/552292/28 "2011-04-23T05:16:27Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > … telescopes can pick out a few individual stars in the Andromeda Galaxy… Make that institutional telescopes. Circa WW1, It took a rare photograph on a night of exceptional seeing and a fresh silver surface before the 100 inch aperture Mt. Wilson reflector showed that the Andromeda nebula was a galaxy and contained stars. Prior to that time the existence of galaxies was a widely disputed hypothosis. Granted the state of the art is well advanced since that time, but AFAIK there is still no telescope that will let one resolve extra galactic stars optically. (the telescope delivering light to the observer’s eye, quite passe for professional astronomers today) It is now routinely done photographically of course. (by which I include digital imaging). ETA: While my comment was addressed to **Chronos,** I don’t presume to educate him…it was really meant for the lurking masses. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/milky-way-not-the-candy-bar/552292.md?page=1)