1022 meters = 10,000,000,000,000,000,000 kilometers
Our Milky Way is not alone; it is not the "island universe" once envisioned by astronomers and philosophers. But it is "the biggest animal in the valley." And, that animal is a predator! Our Milky Way is right now actually gobbling up at least two smaller galaxies.
Of those that haven't yet been "eaten," the closest is called the Canis Major Dwarf. A bit further out you find the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. These small, irregular galaxies are less than 200,000 light-years away. All the galaxies are collectively known as the Local Group.
But beyond the Local Group, all the other points of light you are seeing are actually thousands of other galaxies. The space between them is a very, very hard vacuum.