The lights in Kaikoura, New Zealand shined brightly along the coast, while the stars that gleamed over the city looked amazing as they swept the night sky. This area of New Zealand is one of the best places in the world to see the stars of our galaxy. The Milky Way contains the Solar System, with a barred spiral galaxy some 100,000–120,000 light-years in diameter, containing 100–400 billion stars.