Final answer:
The Milky Way Galaxy's diameter is roughly 100,000 light-years, and its thickness is about 2,000 light-years, which means the diameter is approximately 50 times its thickness.
Step-by-step explanation:
Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is shaped roughly like a giant disk with a central bulge, often compared to the shape of a fried egg or a CD. Analyzing the structure of the Milky Way, we find that the galaxy measures about 100,000 light-years in diameter and is about 2000 light-years thick. It's helpful to visualize our Galaxy as a flat disk with a small bulge at the center, where the thickest concentration of stars is found. This analogy helps to comprehend the vastness of space and the relative sizes within our galactic neighborhood. When comparing the diameter to the thickness of the Milky Way, the correct answer to the student's question is that our galaxy's diameter is about 50 times its thickness.