What are galaxies?

Galaxies are big groups of stars, planets, and other space stuff all moving together like a giant family.

Imagine you have a toy box full of tiny cars, blocks, and balls, they're all mixed up, but they’re all part of the same toy collection. A galaxy is kind of like that toy box, but way bigger! It’s made up of millions (or even billions) of stars, just like your toy box has lots of toys.

Galaxies aren’t just random collections, they have their own special shape and movement. Some look like spirals (like the swirl of a candy floss), some are round like a plate, and others look like they’ve been squashed flat! They all keep moving in space, kind of like how you and your friends might all run around during playtime.

Even though galaxies are super far away, so far that we can’t see them with just our eyes, scientists use special tools to study them. It’s like looking at a tiny toy from across the room, you need a magnifying glass or binoculars to see it clearly!