What is the name of the spiral arm that contains the Solar System?

The Solar System lies in the Milky Way’s Orion Arm. This feature is also called the Orion–Cygnus Arm, Local Arm, or Orion Spur, and it is a smaller spiral structure located between the larger Sagittarius–Carina and Perseus arms.

The Orion Arm is named after the constellation Orion, which is prominent in the night sky and contains familiar objects such as Betelgeuse, Rigel, Orion’s Belt, and the Orion Nebula. Our Solar System is positioned near the arm’s inner rim, roughly halfway along its length and about 26,000 light-years from the Milky Way’s center.

Scientists have debated whether the Orion Arm is a true independent arm, a branch of the Perseus Arm, or a spur-like segment. Modern maps based on radio observations of star-forming regions show it as a substantial local structure, extending roughly 20,000 light-years. The answer is sometimes listed as “Orion Spur” or “Local Spur,” but “Orion Arm” is the standard name represented by this quiz’s choices.