Make Sense of our Solar System's Place in the Universe

[DB]

When I think of a solar system I think of a star being orbited by smaller planets.But if planets orbit stars, what do stars orbit?

Like in this picture of Andromeda:

http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/gallery/stars/andromeda.jpg

What are all those stars circling? What is that bright light in the middle?

One more Question: If stars are what make up galaxies, what are those stars that seem to be out of the orbit and that bright object on the bottom of the picture?

Ty

 

[Janus]

When I think of a solar system I think of a star being orbited by smaller planets.But if planets orbit stars, what do stars orbit?

The common center of mass of the the other stars. Or in other words, the mass of stars that are closer to the center of the galaxy tha they are.

Like in this picture of Andromeda:

http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/gallery/stars/andromeda.jpg

What are all those stars circling? What is that bright light in the middle?

That is the core of the Galaxy. it is just a more densely populated area of the galaxy, though many galaxies do also harbor black holes at their centers.

One more Question: If stars are what make up galaxies, what are those stars that seem to be out of the orbit and that bright object on the bottom of the picture?

Ty

Those are other, further galaxies that the telescope picked up in the background.

 

[tony873004]

Those are other, further galaxies that the telescope picked up in the background.

And foreground Milky Way stars. That bright object is a companion galaxy to Andromeda.