Ask an Astronomer for KIDS! - What is Earth's location in space?




What is Earth's location in space?

Well, Earth is located in the universe in the Virgo Supercluster of galaxies. A supercluster is a group of galaxies held together by gravity. Within this supercluster we are in a smaller group of galaxies called the Local Group. Earth is in the second largest galaxy of the Local Group - a galaxy called the Milky Way. The Milky Way is a large spiral galaxy. Earth is located in one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way (called the Orion Arm) which lies about two-thirds of the way out from the center of the galaxy. Here we are part of the solar system - a group of nine planets, as well as numerous comets and asteroids which orbit the sun. We are the third planet from the sun in the solar system.