TEXT:  
   
   
   The Galaxy (also Our Galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy, Galaxias, or Dakhaseri1) is the 
  barred spiral galaxy which is home to Humanity. It is 30 kiloparsecs in diameter, approximately 
  3 kiloparsecs thick at its center, and contains an estimated 200 billion to 400 billion star 
  systems. 
   The Galaxy is almost as old as the universe: its oldest stars date mere millions of years after 
  the beginning of time. The majority of its stars, however, are between 6 and 10 billion years 
  old.  
   The Galaxy has held life from its earliest moments. There is evidence that even the earliest 
  stars had planets and that those planets generated the primordial soups that breed life. 
  Wherever life can appear, it does appear. 
   
                                                             
  1 Dakhaseri. Literally, Audience of Stars. There is an ancient Vilani story of meritorious souls being allowed to watch the 
  events of the world.  
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Traveller/09 - Traveller5/Traveller5/T5 Underlying PDFs/T5=0109 The Galaxy.pdf