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Is Our Solar System Stationary?

-- Jordan | June 2, 2021

Artist impression of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Question:

So like, you know how the moon goes around the earth, and the earth goes around the sun. My question is, is there anything that has a gravitational pull on the sun that it goes around? Or is it 100% stationary with no outside influence? I know the milky way is moving/spiraling, so is that connected to my question? Since our planet is part of bigger solar system, is our sun part of a bigger thing also? Or is it just doing its own thing by itself?

-- Jordan

Answer:

Our Solar System inhabits a collection of other stars and planets called the Milky Way galaxy which are all bound to each other due to gravity. Within the Milky Way galaxy our Solar System resides in a region called a spiral arm of the galaxy at about 2/3 of the way from the center of the galaxy to its edge, orbiting in a roughly circular motion around the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

-- Jeff Mangum

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