Earth's axis of spin w.r.t. galactic rotation axis

In summary: This situation has caused much consternation in the past due to the fact that it appears as if our solar system is migrating away from the center of the galaxy, and that is what led to the erroneous belief that the Earth was going to collide with the galactic center in 2012.
  • #1
Creator
566
6
Can anyone confirm the Earth's spin axis direction with respect to the AXIS of rotation of the galactic center? (in this current epoch).

I'm getting something like 84 degrees difference (6 degrees off perpendicular);
Is that correct? If not tell me your method.

Thx,
Creator
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
Irrelevant. Define the axis of rotation of the galaxy wrt the solar system. A lot of 2012 nonsence has originated from this mythology.
 
  • #3
Chronos said:
Irrelevant. Define the axis of rotation of the galaxy wrt the solar system. A lot of 2012 nonsence has originated from this mythology.

Quite making assumptions Chronos. It has nothing to do with 2012 nonsense. If you don't know the answer just say so.

Creator
 
  • #4
Would it not simply be a matter of the angle between Polaris and the Milky Way core, which is in Sagittarius?
 
  • #6
As with anything galactic, catching the sense of the rotation of the Milky Way takes time and repeated observations, reinterpretation and so on. It takes over 600,000 years just to go around it one degree. Observe, and then a few months later, and so on for several years.

A good way to understand galactic rotation is that the angle between the Galactic Center and the Andromeda Galaxy is slowly increasing. The angle now is about 121.17 degrees galactic longitude. Andromeda is something like 20 degrees off the galactic equator but that's okay.

The rate of increase is about six thousandths of one arc-second each year. In 170 years that is one arc-second, enough to show up on an ordinary modern surveyor's transit.

It IS significant in the human though because after all it always turns forward, and never backward

Apparently the Sea of Galilee was named after it, or vice versa - both after the Galatian religious group. From the north end, the Milky Way rises above that Sea and must have inspired a good deal of love :smile:; galactic rotation is now figurative in both pregnancy and lactation. Common sense.
 
  • #7
http://calgary.rasc.ca/howfast.htm

solar_system_from_galactic_centre.gif


howfast_solsys18.gif


The plane of the milky way is left-right across your screen in that picture, the axis of the Earth's rotation is slightly tilted relative to the center of the milky way (hence why it is hard to see Sag from the northern hemisphere, it's down near the horizon even during the summer night when it is visible), and the orbital plane of most of the solar system is skewed up a bit awkwardly such that the planets plow through the galactic medium.
 

Attachments

  • solar_system_from_galactic_centre.gif
    solar_system_from_galactic_centre.gif
    88.4 KB · Views: 2,147
  • howfast_solsys18.gif
    howfast_solsys18.gif
    14.4 KB · Views: 1,293

1. What is Earth's axis of spin in relation to the galactic rotation axis?

The Earth's axis of spin refers to the imaginary line that runs through the North and South poles and around which the Earth rotates. The galactic rotation axis, on the other hand, refers to the axis around which the Milky Way galaxy rotates. In relation to the galactic rotation axis, the Earth's axis of spin is tilted at an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees.

2. How does the Earth's axis of spin affect our seasons?

The tilt of the Earth's axis of spin is what causes our seasons. As the Earth orbits around the sun, the angle of the axis in relation to the sun changes, resulting in different amounts of sunlight reaching different parts of the Earth. This is what causes the changes in temperature and weather patterns that we experience throughout the year.

3. Is the Earth's axis of spin fixed or does it change over time?

The Earth's axis of spin is not completely fixed and does experience slight changes over time. This is due to a phenomenon called precession, which is caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon. These changes happen very slowly, with a cycle of approximately 26,000 years.

4. How does the Earth's axis of spin affect the length of our days?

The Earth's axis of spin does not directly affect the length of our days. However, the tilt of the axis does affect the amount of daylight we receive. During the summer solstice, when the axis is tilted towards the sun, we experience longer days with more daylight. During the winter solstice, when the axis is tilted away from the sun, we experience shorter days with less daylight.

5. How does the Earth's axis of spin compare to other planets?

The Earth's axis of spin is similar to that of other planets in our solar system, such as Mars and Uranus, which also have significant tilts. However, the tilt of Jupiter and Saturn's axis is much smaller, resulting in less noticeable changes in seasons. Some planets, like Venus, have almost no tilt, resulting in very little seasonal variation.

Similar threads

  • Quantum Physics
Replies
1
Views
105
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
4
Replies
124
Views
111K
Replies
10
Views
1K
  • Classical Physics
Replies
10
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
4
Views
3K
Replies
23
Views
868
Replies
7
Views
3K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
6
Views
406
Back
Top