Here's a breakdown:
* Stars: These are giant balls of hot gas that produce light and heat through nuclear fusion.
* Gas: Primarily hydrogen and helium, the gas in galaxies provides fuel for star formation and fills the space between stars.
* Dust: Tiny particles of rock and ice, dust absorbs and scatters light, creating the characteristic dark lanes and reddish hues often seen in galaxies.
Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is a spiral galaxy containing billions of stars.
