1.
Milky Way
The galaxy containing our solar system, appearing as a faint band of light stretching across the night sky.
七夕の夜、天の川を見た。
On the night of Tanabata, I saw the Milky Way.
田舎では天の川がはっきり見える。
In the countryside, you can see the Milky Way clearly.
天の川には数千億の星がある。
The Milky Way contains hundreds of billions of stars.
七夕の伝説では、織姫と彦星が天の川を渡って年に一度会う。
In the Tanabata legend, Orihime and Hikoboshi cross the Milky Way to meet once a year.
街灯もない山奥の温泉で露天風呂に浸かりながら天の川を眺めるのは、最高の贅沢だ。
Soaking in an outdoor hot spring deep in the mountains with no streetlights, gazing at the Milky Way — that's the ultimate luxury.
天の川 literally means 'River of Heaven,' the Japanese name for the Milky Way.
TANABATA LEGEND (七夕):
In the famous legend, 織姫 (Vega) and 彦星 (Altair) are lovers separated by the 天の川, allowed to meet only once a year on July 7th when magpies form a bridge across the celestial river.
COMMON EXPRESSIONS:
- 天の川が見える: can see the Milky Way
- 天の川を渡る: to cross the Milky Way
- 天の川を仰ぐ: to look up at the Milky Way
SCIENTIFIC TERMS:
- 銀河: galaxy (general term)
- 銀河系: the Milky Way galaxy (scientific)
- 天の川銀河: Milky Way Galaxy
BEST VIEWING:
- Summer months in Japan
- Away from city lights (光害)