It's difficult to pinpoint an exact date for the formation of the Milky Way galaxy, but astronomers estimate it formed between 13.5 and 13.6 billion years ago.

Here's what we know:

* The Big Bang: The universe began about 13.8 billion years ago with the Big Bang.

* Early Galaxies: Shortly after, the first stars and galaxies formed from the primordial gas and dust.

* Milky Way Formation: The Milky Way likely started as a smaller, less organized collection of stars and gas that gradually grew through mergers with other smaller galaxies. This process took several billion years.

While we can't know for sure when the Milky Way first emerged as a recognizable galaxy, the estimated timeframe of 13.5 to 13.6 billion years ago represents our best understanding based on current scientific evidence.