PDF

oct08-offprint-venn.pdf

Like other spiral galaxies, the Milky Way Galaxy (MWG) has several distinct structural components that probably appeared at different stages in its formation process. The Sun is a part of the “thin disk”, but the MWG has at least three other distinct stellar components; the “thick disk”, the “halo”, and the “bulge”. The orbits and kinematics of the stars and other objects in each component are primarily what sets them apart from one another. But there are other characteristics that differ, such as the ages and the chemical compositions as well.