How Fast Do Stars Orbit in Different Galaxies?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the orbital speeds of stars in elliptical and spiral galaxies, emphasizing that these speeds vary significantly based on the galaxy's mass and the star's distance from the galactic center. For instance, the Sun orbits at approximately 200 km/s, while stars near supermassive black holes exhibit much higher velocities. The differences between perigalacticon and apogalacticon orbits are influenced by the elliptical nature of the orbits and the gravitational effects of surrounding mass.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of orbital mechanics in astrophysics
  • Familiarity with elliptical and spiral galaxy structures
  • Knowledge of gravitational influences on star motion
  • Basic grasp of supermassive black holes and their effects on nearby stars
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the dynamics of star orbits in elliptical galaxies
  • Explore the effects of supermassive black holes on stellar velocities
  • Study the relationship between mass distribution and orbital characteristics in galaxies
  • Examine existing studies on stellar density and orbital eccentricity
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysicists, and students studying galactic dynamics and stellar motion will benefit from this discussion.

Bjarne
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1.
How fast are stars orbit speed in elliptical galaxies (from and to)

2.
How big differences are there typical between
Perigalacticon and Apogalacticon in a. elliptical galaxies and b. spiral galaxies?
 
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1. It depends on the mass of the galaxies and the distance of the star. In addition, not all orbits are circular, the velocity can vary with time.
The sun has an orbital velocity of ~200km/s. While other stars have different speeds, it should give you some idea about the orders of magnitude involved.

2. There probably exists some study somewhere. I think the interesting graph would be two-dimensional, plotting both values at the same time (or semi-major axis and excentricity) for all stars and showing their density in this area.
 
Just another thing to think about: the stars closest into the super-massive black hole at the center of the milky way orbit around it at staggeringly high speeds relative to those far away from its influence.
 

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