Question

why is milky way called so?

Answer 1

Long ago, the Romans named the galaxy “via lactea,” which translates to “road of milk.” The Romans named it via lactea precisely because it looks like a milky patch of sky above the Earth at night. ... The Romans got the name from the Greeks, who called it galaxias kyklos, which translates into “milkycircle

Answer 2

Because when viewed firstly via a telescope the path of moving planets appeared to be white as milk and therefore it was said as milky way....... ...
milky for appearance
way for the path in which planets moved........