{"id":781731,"date":"2024-05-02T11:29:50","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T16:29:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=781731"},"modified":"2024-05-02T11:29:50","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T16:29:50","slug":"the-great-attractor-pulling-the-milky-way-galaxy-off-course-short-wave-npr-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=781731","title":{"rendered":"The ‘Great Attractor’ pulling the Milky Way galaxy off course : Short Wave : NPR"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n This illustration shows the Milky Way, our home galaxy.
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NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/p>\n

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NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/p>\n

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This illustration shows the Milky Way, our home galaxy.<\/p>\n

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NASA\/JPL-Caltech<\/p>\n

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No matter what you’re doing right now \u2013 sitting, standing, walking \u2013 you’re moving. <\/em><\/p>\n

Specifically, you’re moving at least four different ways. <\/p>\n

First, Earth is spinning around on its axis at about 1,000 miles per hour right now, or about 1,600 kilometers per hour. This rotation is the reason we have days. Second, Earth and other planets in our solar system are orbiting the sun. Our planet does that at around 67,000 miles per hour, or about 108,000 kilometers per hour. That’s why we have years. And third, you’re moving because the sun and the rest of our solar system is orbiting the center of the Milky Way galaxy at over 500,000 miles per hour, or 828,000 kilometers per hour. <\/p>\n