The Milky Way galaxy is estimated to contain between 100 billion and 400 billion stars. The commonly cited range reflects uncertainties primarily due to the difficulty in detecting very low-mass stars, which are numerous but faint. Current best estimates often center around 200 billion stars, but values as low as 100 billion and as high as 400 billion are still considered plausible by astronomers
. This wide range is due to challenges in counting stars throughout the entire galaxy, especially in distant or obscured regions. Missions like ESA's Gaia have mapped over a billion stars in the Milky Way's neighborhood, improving our understanding, but even Gaia struggles to detect the faintest stars across the whole galaxy
. In summary, the Milky Way contains roughly 100 to 400 billion stars, with the best current estimates clustering around 200 billion stars.
