Xinhua glosses
星河 as
银河 — 'the Milky Way'. The metaphor of the galaxy as a
河 (river) of stars is ancient and runs through Chinese poetry, most famously in the Qixi
七夕 legend where the Cowherd
牛郎 and Weaver Girl
织女 are separated by
银河/
星河 and reunited once a year by a magpie bridge. More poetic than the everyday
银河.
