How many stars are in our galaxy?

Scientists estimate that there are 400 billion stars in our galaxy. Planet Earth is in the Milky Way galaxy, which is approximately 120,000 light-years across and is considered an average-sized galaxy for the universe.

Of the 400 billion stars in the galaxy, most are red dwarf stars, which are dim stars. There are also average-sized stars like the Sun. The galaxy also contains a few super-giant stars that are much larger and brighter than giant stars. On a clear night, someone with perfect vision may be able to see around 9,000 stars. With a small telescope, a person could see about 15 million.