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Name: pam mcdermott
Status: N/A
Age: N/A
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Date: 1993 - 1999
Question:
How fast do stars travel in the Milky Way?

Replies:
The milky way, our very own galaxy, rotates and moves as a whole with respect to the microwave background of the universe. Individual stars have "peculiar" (that's what they're called) motions with respect to the general motion of the part of the milky way that they are in.

The peculiar motions are like the motions of passengers as they walk around on a train.

I trust that you are asking about the "peculiar" motions. I don't know the answer, but I hope that someone who does will enlighten us.

I hope that I have correctly clarified your question.

J Lu

The speed of our sun around the center of the Milky Way is about 250 km/sec. The Sun also has a peculiar motion of about 15 km/sec towards the constellation Hercules; this is measured with respect to the so-called Local Standard of Rest (LSR). For comparison, the Earth's orbital speed is about 30 km/sec. For more info, check an elementary astronomy text such as _Introduction to Astronomy and Astrophysics_ by Smith and Jacobs.

Hawley


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