Milky Way Velocity: How Fast Does Our Galaxy Move?

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SUMMARY

The Milky Way Galaxy is moving at an impressive speed of approximately 1.3 million miles per hour (2.1 million km/hr) relative to the cosmic microwave background, which appears uniform to observers. This motion is directed towards the constellations of Leo and Virgo, influenced by a gravitational pull from a massive concentration of matter known as The Great Attractor. While the exact reasons for this motion remain partially understood, it is believed to be the result of multiple galaxy clusters rather than a single entity.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of cosmic microwave background radiation
  • Familiarity with galactic motion and gravitational influences
  • Basic knowledge of astronomical constellations, specifically Leo and Virgo
  • Awareness of the concept of The Great Attractor
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the gravitational effects of The Great Attractor on nearby galaxies
  • Learn about the motion of the Andromeda Galaxy in relation to the Milky Way
  • Explore the implications of cosmic microwave background radiation on galactic movement
  • Investigate the methods used by astronomers to measure galactic velocities
USEFUL FOR

Astronomers, astrophysics students, and anyone interested in the dynamics of galaxies and cosmic structures will benefit from this discussion.

Angelika10
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Do we know at which speed the whole milky way is moving around in the universe?
Around the next cluster I suppose?
 
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About 600km/s with respect to observers who would see the cosmic microwave background as uniform.

With respect to other objects, I don't know off the top of my head. I would suspect googling specific objects (e.g. how fast is Andromeda moving) might be productive.
 
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And how fast is the Milky Way Galaxy moving? The speed turns out to be an astounding 1.3 million miles per hour (2.1 million km/hr)! We are moving roughly in the direction on the sky that is defined by the constellations of Leo and Virgo. Although the reasons for this motion are not fully understood, astronomers believe that there is a huge concentration of matter in this direction. Some people call it The Great Attractor, although we now know that the pull is probably not due to one group of galaxies but many. Still the extra gravity in this direction pulls the Milky Way (and many neighbor galaxies) in that direction.
NASA
 
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