What Does Our Solar System Rotate Around?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the question of what the solar system rotates around, exploring the relationship between the solar system, the Milky Way galaxy, and larger cosmic structures. It includes both conceptual and technical aspects of astronomy.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that the solar system rotates around the center of the Milky Way galaxy.
  • Another participant elaborates that the Milky Way itself moves under the influence of gravity from the local group of galaxies, particularly Andromeda, describing this as more of a plunge than a traditional orbit.
  • A later reply mentions the Milky Way's mass relative to Andromeda, indicating that recent data suggests the Milky Way is heavier, though measuring this is challenging.
  • Another participant introduces the concept of the local group's motion with respect to the Cosmic Microwave Background, referencing the CMB Dipole and providing an approximate speed of ~600 km/s.
  • One post suggests a humorous resource, the "Monty Python Universe Song," as a way to learn about the topic.
  • A brief mention of a link to an external resource is provided, which may contain additional information on the solar system's position.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the solar system rotates around the Milky Way galaxy, but there are varying levels of detail and understanding regarding the motion of the Milky Way and its relationship with other galaxies. The discussion includes multiple viewpoints and lacks a definitive resolution on some aspects.

Contextual Notes

Some claims rely on specific measurements that are difficult to ascertain, such as the mass of the Milky Way relative to Andromeda and the precise motion of the local group with respect to the Cosmic Microwave Background.

chuckset
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I know that the Earth rotates around the sun, but what does our solar system rotate around?


P.S. I'm a noob when it comes to anything related to astronomy, sorry.
 
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Our solar system rotates around the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. Our galaxy, in turn, moves around according to the gravity of (primarily) our local group of galaxies, of which Andromeda is the primary contributor (not exactly an orbit, more like we're plunging together). Beyond that, I'm sure our local group has some motion with respect to other clusters of galaxies, but I don't know the specifics of it.

Cheers!
 
Go to You Tube search for "Monty Python Universe Song" that gives all the information you need.
 
Nabeshin said:
Our solar system rotates around the center of our own Milky Way galaxy. Our galaxy, in turn, moves around according to the gravity of (primarily) our local group of galaxies, of which Andromeda is the primary contributor (not exactly an orbit, more like we're plunging together). Beyond that, I'm sure our local group has some motion with respect to other clusters of galaxies, but I don't know the specifics of it.

Cheers!

Latest data indicates the Milky Way is heavier than M31 (the Andromeda Galaxy), but it's very hard to measure.

Our local group is also moving in a certain direction with respect to the Cosmic Microwave Background, producing what's called the CMB Dipole. Look it up for exact details of direction and speed, but it's roughly ~600 km/s I think.
 

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