Have you ever wondered why our galaxy is called the Milky Way?

For years, stargazers have been pondering two key questions: 'Why is our galaxy referred to as the Milky Way?' and 'Is there any connection to the candy bar we all enjoy?'

Centuries ago, the Romans named the galaxy “via lactea,” meaning 'road of milk.' They chose this name because the Milky Way appears as a creamy, glowing band across the night sky.

However, the Romans weren't the first to name this celestial phenomenon. They borrowed the name from the ancient Greeks, who called it galaxias kyklos, meaning 'milky circle.'

According to Greek mythology, Zeus decided to bring his son Heracles to Hera for breastfeeding while she slept. Hera, however, despised Heracles because he was half-mortal and the product of one of Zeus' infidelities. When she awoke and realized what had happened, she quickly shoved Heracles away, causing a few drops of milk to spill across the night sky.

From a scientific perspective, the bright streak we see in the sky is simply a view of billions of stars clustered in a concentrated band within our galaxy. When we look at the night sky, we’re seeing the Milky Way from its side, which forms the luminous arc we recognize as the Milky Way galaxy.

Different cultures have their own names for the Milky Way. In Germany, it’s called 'Milchstrasse,' while in Norway, it’s referred to as 'Melkeveien.'

In 1923, Frank Mars created the Milky Way candy bar after three years of research. It became the first candy bar with a filling. The filling was inspired by the popular chocolate-malt milkshake of the time, and Mars named the candy bar after the milkshake-like texture, calling it the Milky Way.