IGCSE 0625 / Section 6.2.2 / Core

Islands of stars.

Stars do not drift alone. They gather in their billions into galaxies, vast pinwheels bound by gravity. Ours is the Milky Way, and the gaps between its stars are so huge we measure them in the distance light itself travels in a year.

The key idea

A galaxy is a vast collection of billions of stars held together by gravity, and our galaxy is the Milky Way. Distances between stars are measured in light-years, the distance light travels in one year.

Definition · learn the exact words

A galaxy is a huge collection of billions of stars held together by gravity. Our galaxy is the Milky Way, which contains the Sun.

1 light-year = the distance light travels in one year

A light-year is a distance, not a time. The universe contains billions of galaxies.

Section 01

Zoom out to the galaxy.

See the Milky Way and how far apart its stars are in light-years.

Stage 1 · Learn

Check galaxies

Four quick checks. Each correct answer earns XP and lights this skill on your star map.

Quick check+10 XP

A galaxy is...

Quick check+10 XP

Our galaxy is called the...

Quick check+10 XP

A light-year is...

Quick check+10 XP

A light-year is a unit of...

Section 02

Stars, galaxies, and distance.

Billions of stars make a galaxy, and the huge gaps are measured in light-years.

Examiner trap

A light-year is a distance, not a time. It is how far light travels in one year. Our Sun is just one star in the Milky Way, which is itself one of billions of galaxies.

Stage 2 · Exam

Exam-style questions

Unlocks once the four checks above are done. Worth more XP, written in the style of Paper 2.

Finish the four checks above to unlock the exam questions
Exam style+20 XP

What holds the billions of stars in a galaxy together?

Exam style+20 XP

A student says a light-year is the time light takes to cross a galaxy. This is wrong because a light-year is a...

Exam style+20 XP

The Sun is one star in...

Skill unlocked

Galaxies, mastered.

Galaxies and light-years are mapped. Keep the chain going.

-Rank -Level -Score -Topics
Go deeper · practice
Six original Cambridge-style questions
Galaxies as collections of billions of stars, the Milky Way, and the light-year as a distance. Attempt each, then reveal the worked solution.
Stage 3 · master the unit
Space physics challenge
Mixed questions across the whole unit, each one worth XP. Start this only when you feel confident across every topic in the unit, not just galaxies.
Start the unit challenge →