Space: Who Knew, #14

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Just how fast is fast?

Recent studies suggest that our solar system is moving around the center of the Milky Way at speeds much higher than we originally thought. So just how fast are we going? Try this on for size: 568,000 miles per hour.

Check this article out:

Since velocity is related to mass, the 15% increase in solar-system speed translates into a near doubling of mass of the Milky Way, according to Reid's group — and all of that newfound bulk is composed of dark matter.

Original estimates of the solar system's speed were based on what Reid calls "one-dimensional velocity" obtained solely from Doppler shifts. "Now we have three-dimensional velocity and more exact measurements," he says, a huge advancement in the field. The findings debunk the notion that the Milky Way is a little sister galaxy to her neighbor Andromeda. "They're more like fraternal twins," Reid says.

I also checked the Wiki article to do some comparisons. Looks like the speed cited in the WIKI article is about x2.5 times faster than what the first article claims.


The next time Isabella says to me: "Goin way tass!!!!"
I'll smile and tell her: "Yes we are!"

And in that 3 seconds it took to say it, we'll have moved nearly 500 miles.

Who knew???