A more accurate way of visualizing the solar-system's motion through space.

[Ðekel]

after posting this under a different thread, i thought it might be of general interest in the Science section.

first a short explanation;

the solar system is most often depicted as having a fixed sun that does not move in space, and as having planets which orbit in fixed space and retrace the same space while orbiting.
this way of depicting the solar system and the planets motion through space is simply outdated and over-simplified.

in reality, the galaxy is constantly spinning, and along with it, the solar system is moving through space.
while the planets do accompany the sun, their trajectories through 3d space are not circular at all. they are rather coil-shaped.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBlAGGzup48&feature=related

 

[Nienna]

Yes, and the solar system also travels in an up and down pattern through the galactic plane. Sott has several articles that discuss how the solar system moves through the galaxy.

Here are a couple of them:

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/155172-Study-suggests-link-between-comet-bombardment-and-movement-through-the-galaxy-causing-mass-extinctions-on-earth

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/238618-Are-We-Entering-the-Danger-Zone-The-Solar-System-s-250-Million-Year-Orbit-Through-the-Milky-Way

 

[Ðekel]

Nienna Eluch,

thanks for the links !

 

[RobertB]

I have seen another depiction of our 250 million year orbit of solar system around the galaxy.
Our sun orbits in a captured dwarf elliptical galaxy, much like the Large and Small Magellinic Clouds that the Milky Way has captured.
The period of orbit of the Solar System in the parent dwarf elliptical is something like 52,000 years.
The period of orbit of the dwarf elliptical is the 250 million years.
That is how, as it is explained, the Solar System crosses the plane of the Milky Way every 26,000 years, but orbits the Milky way every 250 million years.
Numbers not exact. Point is the shape of the orbit(s).
With 8 arms (or subarms) to our Milky Way (number again in dispute), and another set of relatively open spaces between the arms, it's a dozen crossings (of the laminated galactic plane) between the 309,000 years before another 'wave' hits (or is hit).