There are three main types of galaxies: spiral galaxies, elliptical galaxies, and irregular galaxies. The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy containing thousands of stars and solar systems. Irregular galaxies have no defined shape and make up about one fourth of all galaxies, containing abundant gas that forms stars. Elliptical galaxies appear spherical or oval-shaped and are classified on a scale from E0 to E7 based on their circularity. Spiral galaxies can be either normal or barred, and both types have a similar structure.