Understanding the \Relative\ Velocities
Understanding the "Relative" Velocities

Earth rotates on its axis, completing one rotation approximately every 24 hours. A point on the Equator moves at a velocity of about 1,670 kilometers per hour, which is the fastest surface speed due to Earth’s rotation.

The speed of rotation decreases as you move away from the Equator towards the poles. This is because the circumference of the Earth gets smaller. The velocity at a latitude other than the Equator can be calculated by multiplying the equatorial velocity by the cosine of the latitude.

Earth also orbits the Sun at an average velocity of 107,200 kilometers per hour. This speed varies slightly throughout the year because Earth’s orbit is elliptical, not perfectly circular.

Earth’s orbit has an eccentricity of less than 0.02, which means it is almost circular but still slightly oval-shaped. The distance from the Sun changes during the year, affecting the orbital speed. Earth moves faster when it is closer to the Sun at perihelion (around January 3rd) and slower when it is farther away at aphelion (around July 4th).

It takes Earth approximately 365.242199 mean solar days to complete one orbit around the Sun. This slight discrepancy from a perfect 365 days is why we have leap years every four years.

The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way at an average speed of 230 km/s (or 828,000 km/h). This speed is quite consistent due to the vast scale of the galaxy and the gravitational forces at play.

Despite this high speed, it takes the Sun about 230 million years to complete one orbit around the Milky Way. This long period is known as a “galactic year” or "cosmic year"

Our entire solar system, including Earth, is moving around the center of the Milky Way galaxy, and the galaxy itself is moving through space, adding more layers to Earth’s relative velocities.

To clarify, the Milky Way does not orbit the Cosmic Microwave Background (CM; rather, it moves relative to the CMB. The CMB serves as a universal backdrop, providing a reference frame for the motion of objects in the universe.

The relative velocity of the Milky Way with respect to the CMB is a measure of our galaxy’s motion through the universe. The CMB serves as a reference frame for this motion because it is the afterglow of the Big Bang and is nearly uniform in all directions.

The velocity is significant because it reflects not only the local gravitational influences, such as the pull from nearby galaxies, but also the overall expansion of the universe and the initial conditions of the Big Bang.

Credit: Dr James O'Donoghue via Unilad Tech
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