銀ぎん河が

天あまの川がわN1sense 1
天の川 is the traditional, poetic Japanese name for the Milky Way, while 銀河 is the modern astronomical term for the same galaxy (or any galaxy).
銀ぎん河が系けい sense 1
銀河系 specifically names our own galaxy as a structured system, whereas 銀河 can mean either our galaxy or any galaxy in general.

Don't confuse with

星せい雲うん sense 2
星雲 refers to a nebula, a cloud of gas and dust, while 銀河 refers to a galaxy, a vast collection of stars, and the two are often mixed up by beginners.
宇う宙ちゅうN4
銀河 means a specific galaxy, while 宇宙 refers to the entire universe or space that contains many galaxies.

Word family· 19

銀ぎん河が団だん
galaxy cluster; cluster of galaxies
銀ぎん河が群ぐん
group of galaxies
楕だ円えん銀ぎん河が
elliptical galaxy
活かつ動どう銀ぎん河

Written forms

銀ぎん河がUsage99%
Standard kanji spelling for both the Milky Way and general galaxy senses.
ギンガUsage1%

Etymology

From Chinese 銀河 (yínhé), literally 'silver river', a calque of the Milky Way's appearance. The general 'galaxy' sense developed from the specific Milky Way reference.

It is said that two galaxies will collide in billions of years.

が

active galaxy

渦うず巻まき銀ぎん河が

spiral galaxy

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