why is it called the milky way

The Milky Way is called so because of its appearance as a dim, milky glowing band arching across the night sky. The name originates from the Ancient Greek term "galaxías kýklos," meaning "milky circle," which later was translated into Latin as "via lactea," or "milky way." This milky appearance comes from the distant stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye, creating a hazy band of light. In Greek mythology, the Milky Way's name is linked to a story where the infant Heracles was placed on the goddess Hera's breast while she was asleep to drink her divine milk and become immortal. When Hera awoke and realized this, she pushed the baby away, and her spilled milk formed the band of light seen in the night sky, which became known as the Milky Way. The term "galaxías" (from γάλα, meaning "milk") is also the root of the word "galaxy".