Editing Milky Way

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{{main|Wikipedia:Milky Way}}
[[Image:Milky_Way.jpg|thumb|The '''Milky Way''' seen in infrared.]]
The '''Milky Way''' is the galaxy where the [[Humans]] and the [[Covenant]] reside. It is a barred spiral galaxy that lies with the Local Group of galaxies neighborhood of the Universe, visible from [[Earth]] as a band of light in the night sky. Although the Milky Way is one of billions of galaxies in the observable universe, the Galaxy has special significance to [[Humans|Humanity]] as it is the home galaxy of the planet [[Earth]].
==Structure==
[[Image:Milky_Way_Comp.jpg|thumb|Structure of the '''Milky Way'''.]]
The '''Milky Way''' is estimated to contain 200 billion, or up to 400 billion, stars (if small-mass stars predominate). As a guide to the relative physical scale of the Milky Way, if it were reduced to 130 km (80 mi) in diameter, the [[Solar System]] would be a mere 2 mm (0.08 inches) in width. The Galactic Halo extends outward, but is limited in size by the orbits of the two Milky Way satellites, the Large and the Small Magellanic Clouds, whose perigalacticon is at ~180,000 light-years. New discoveries indicate that the disk extends much farther than previously thought.

The galactic disk, which bulges outward at the galactic center, has a diameter of between 70,000 and 100,000 light-years. The distance from the [[Sol|Sun]] to the galactic center is now estimated at 26,000 ± 1400 light-years, while older estimates could put the Sun as far as 35,000 light-years from the central bulge.
The galactic center harbors a compact object of very large mass (named Sagittarius A*), strongly suspected to be a supermassive black hole. Most galaxies are believed to have a supermassive black hole at their center.
The Galaxy's bar is thought to be about 27,000 light-years long, running through its center at a 44 ± 10 degree angle to the line between the Sun and the center of the Galaxy. It is composed primarily of red stars, believed to be ancient (see red dwarf, red giant). The bar is surrounded by a ring called the "5-kpc ring" that contains a large fraction of the molecular hydrogen present in the Galaxy, as well as most of the Milky Way's star formation activity
==Colonization And War==
===[[Solar System]]===
The colonization of the Milky Way includes the early colonization attempts of the [[UN]] and the [[UNSC]], beginning with the colonization of the [[Solar System]] during the 2100's. The first planet believed to be colonized is [[Mars]], followed by the [[Jovian Moons]]. During [[2160]] - [[2164]], the Solar System was the site of the [[Interplanetary War]], the most brutal conflict known to man since World War II. The war was fought between the [[UN]] naval and infantry forces, the Neo-[[Communism|Communist]] [[Koslovics]] (led by hardliner [[Vladimir Koslov]]), and the [[Frieden]] rebels ([[Jovian Moons|Jovian]] secessionists). Following the successful [[Marine]] deployments on [[Mars]] during the [[Argyre Planitia Campaign]] of [[2163]], the [[UN]] ultimately defeated both [[Koslovic]] and [[Frieden]] rebels throughout the Solar System]], thus forming the [[United Nations Space Command]].
===Beyond===
The development of the [[Shaw-Fujikawa Slipspace Drive|Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine]] in [[2291]] enabled the [[UNSC]] to explore and colonize planets beyond the confines of the [[Solar System]], thus the [[Inner Colonies]] were born. By [[2310]], the fist line of colony ships was made public by the [[UNSC|Earth Government]]. On January 1, [[2362]], the [[Odyssey]], the first colony ship capable of faster-than-light travel was launched. It was laden with troops and terraforming gear. This sparked the first wave of colonization in the inner colonies. By [[2390]], the colonization of the [[Inner Colonies]] was underway. There were 210 human-occupied worlds in various stages of terraforming, and the population burden across human-controlled space was largely stabilized.

Colonial expansion continued and by [[2490]], UNSC colonial space encompassed over 800 worlds, large and small in the [[Orion Belt]]. The success of colonization of the [[Outer Colonies]] made the [[Inner Colonies]] the primary stronghold, both military and economic, though they relied heavily on raw materials supplied by the Outer Colonies. During this period, the planet [[Reach]] (orbiting [[Epsilon Eridani]], right on [[Earth]]'s metaphorical doorstep) became the [[UNSC]]'s primary Naval yard and training academy. Reach was a major producer of warships and colony vessels, as well as a training ground for covert operatives and Special Forces.

On April 20, [[2525]], contact with the Outer Colony, [[Harvest]], was lost. After failing to re-establish contact with Harvest, the [[Colonial Military Administration]] sent a scout ship, the [[Argo]], to investigate. Contact with the Argo was subsequently lost after the ship arrived in the Harvest system, plunging humanity into a deadly war with an alien race known as the "[[Covenant]]". The war was named the [[Human-Covenant War]].
==Summary==
Basically every combat engagement, large and small, between either [[Rebel]] factions, the [[UNSC]] or the [[Covenant]] takes place in the home galaxy of the Milky Way. The galaxy is home to both [[Humans]] and the [[Covenant]], however, it has been confirmed the it is not the home galaxy to the [[Flood]].
==Trivia==
*Although the '''Milky Way''' is home to the [[Humans]] and the [[Covenant]], it is not home to the [[Flood]], which is extra-galactic in origin.
==Related Articles==
*[[Humans]]
*[[Solar System]]
**[[Earth]]
***[[Luna]]
**[[Mars]]
**[[Jovian Moons]]
**[[UN]]
**[[UNSC]]
**[[Colonial Administration Authority]]
**[[Colonial Military Administration]]
*[[Covenant]]
**[[Covenant Loyalists]]
**[[Covenant Separatists]]
==Sources==
#http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milky_way - The Milky Way on Wikipedia
#http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/storyline.htm
*[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]
*[[Halo 2]]
*[[Halo 3]]
*[[Halo Wars]]
*[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]
*[[Halo: First Strike]]
*[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]
*[[Halo: The Flood]]
*[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]
*[[Halo: Uprising]]
*[[Halo Graphic Novel]]
*[[I Love Bees]]
[[Category:UNSC]]