How would our galaxy appear if observed from 2 million light-years away?

If our galaxy, the Milky Way, were observed from a distance of 2 million light-years, it would appear as a flattened disk with a central bulge and spiral arms. This is because the Milky Way is a barred spiral galaxy, characterized by its distinct structure that includes a central bulge where a high concentration of stars can be found, along with spiral arms extending outward.

From such a vantage point, the overall morphology of the galaxy would be evident. The spiral arms, which consist of young, bright stars, gas, and dust, would be visible as well-defined regions extending from the central bulge. The bulk of the stars are arranged in a disk shape, resulting in the characteristic flattened appearance when viewed from afar.

In contrast, a spherical object with no distinct features would not accurately represent the structure of the Milky Way, as it has a complex, spiral nature. An irregular blob of stars would fail to capture the organized spiral structure that defines our galaxy and the dense central bulge. Finally, appearing as a bright point of light indistinguishable from other stars would not reflect the unique characteristics of the Milky Way, as its structure would be evident from such a considerable distance, differentiating it from individual stars in the