At all times, the question of how our Galaxy is arranged has been one of the most pressing. We all know that our solar system consists of eight planets that move in orbit around the sun. But in this article you can also find out how the sun itself moves. To begin with, let's analyze the principle of planetary motion.
Why do planets move around the sun?
To say that planets revolve around the Sun is just another way of saying that they are in orbit around the Sun. Moving around the Sun in orbit, the planet looks like the Moon or NASA’s satellite orbiting the Earth. Let’s think about why the planet revolves around the Sun, and not the Sun around the planet. A light object revolves around a heavier one, so any planet is a celestial body moving around the Sun, since this star is certainly the heaviest object in our solar system. The sun is 1, 000 times heavier than the largest planet Jupiter, more than 300, 000 times heavier than the Earth. By the same principle, the moon and satellites move around the earth.
Isaac Newton
But now we still have a question why something revolves around something else. The reasons are complex, but the first sensible explanation was given by one of the greatest scientists who have ever existed. It was Isaac Newton who lived in England about 300 years ago. Newton gained fame during his lifetime; many admired his answers to the most complex and fascinating scientific questions of the time.
Newton realized that the reason planets revolve around the Sun is related to why objects fall to Earth when we drop them. The gravity of the Sun attracts the planets in the same way as the gravity of the Earth discards everything that is not held by any other force, and keeps us on earth. Heavy objects attract more than light, so being the heaviest in our solar system, the Sun has the most powerful gravitational attraction.
The principle of constant planetary motion
Now the following question arises: if the Sun attracts planets, why should they not just fall and burn up? In addition to falling toward the sun, planets also move sideways. This is the same as if you had weight at the end of the string. If you turn it, you constantly pull it to your hand. So the gravity of the Sun attracts the planet, but moving to the side keeps the ball spinning around. Without this lateral movement, it would fall to the center; and without a thrust to the center, he would fly in a straight line, which, of course, is exactly what will happen if you release the string.
How does the sun move?
Our Galaxy revolves around its center, which is called the Milky Way. According to scientists, the speed of the sun in orbit is about 828, 000 km / h. But even at such a high speed, one passage around the Milky Way will be 228 million years!
The Milky Way is a spiral galaxy. Scientists believe that it consists of 4 sleeves. The sun (and, of course, the rest of our solar system) is located near the arm of Orion, between Perseus and Sagittarius. The sun moves in orbit at a distance of about 30, 000 km from the Milky Way.
It is interesting to note that recent studies by astronomers suggest that the Milky Way is actually a spiral galaxy with a jumper, and not just a spiral galaxy.
