Is the sun moving simple harmonically up and down also?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the motion of the Sun, specifically whether it exhibits simple harmonic motion in a vertical sense and how this relates to the Earth's orbit and the Sun's movement within the galaxy. Participants explore concepts of periodic motion, the three-dimensional nature of space, and the implications of the Sun's orbit around the galactic center.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question the meaning of "up and down" in a three-dimensional context, suggesting that the original question lacks clarity.
  • One participant interprets the question as relating to the Earth's orbit around the Sun, noting that while the Earth's center does not move in a perfect plane, the center of mass of the Earth-Moon system orbits the Sun in a plane with minor perturbations.
  • Another participant introduces the idea that the Sun's orbit around the galactic center could involve simple harmonic motion, suggesting that the Sun moves slightly above and below the galactic plane, which may have implications for gravitational disturbances affecting asteroids.
  • Concerns are raised about the understanding of the galaxy's motion through dense areas of asteroids, with a participant suggesting that the original claim may be based on misconceptions or insufficient research.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing interpretations of the original question and the concepts involved. There is no consensus on whether the Sun's motion can be described as simple harmonic or on the implications of its galactic orbit.

Contextual Notes

Some statements rely on assumptions about the definitions of motion and the scale of galactic dynamics, which remain unresolved within the discussion.

nishant
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is the sun moving simple harmonically up and down also?
 
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I'm sorry, this doesn't make sense at all.
Are you asking if the sun exhibits a periodic motion?
 
What's 'up and down'...?The sun in an almost free space.3D picture.What's "up and down" in 3 dimensions...?

Daniel.
 
I interpret the original question asks if the eath's orbit around the sun is in a plane. If you use the center of the Earth as a reference, it is not exactly. However, the center of mass of the earth-moon system orbits the sun in a plane (except for small perturbations due to the other planets).
 
isn't it that our galaxy travels in a dense area of asteroids once in 3 million years
 
nishant said:
isn't it that our galaxy travels in a dense area of asteroids once in 3 million years
Humm... I think you need to re read your sources. We know little to nothing about that scale of motion, further, because the galaxy passes intergalatic material does not mean the the solar system will ever know about it. Perhaps you want to do some basic research and rephrase your question in a manner which makes sense.
 
I think he's referring to the orbit of the Sun around the gallactic center. If the robit is slightly off the galactic lpane, it has been proposed that the simple harmonic motion taking us from "slightly above" the ecliptic to "slightly below" would cause the Solar System to pass through the thick of the gallactic plane tice per orbit. Some have theorized that these passages increase the likelyhood of nearby gravitational disturbances pulling asteroids out of there orbits. It is then supposed that these asteroids are responsible for the periodicity of mass extinctions.
 

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