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The following
astronomical observations may make your life feel more interesting. This
is a fantastic ride that we just take for granted.
The
earth is rotating at approximately 1000 miles per hour. The actual speed
depends on the latitude of the observer.
[ At the equator, the circumference of the Earth is 40,070 kilometers, and the day is 24 hours long so the speed is 1670 kilometers/hour ( 1070 miles/hr). This decreases by the cosine of your latitude so that at a latitude of 45 degrees, cos(45) = .707 and the speed is .707 x 1670 = 1180 kilometers/hr. You can use this formula to find the speed of rotation at any latitude. ]
Meanwhile,
the Earth orbits the Sun at a speed of 29.79 km (18.51 miles) per second, or 107,870 km (67,000 miles) per hour.
But
hold on! The
entire solar system is orbiting through our Milky Way Galaxy at nearly half a
million miles per hour.
And
as if that wasn't enough, the
Virgo Cluster, of which our galaxy is a member, is moving at nearly a million
miles per hour towards a point in interclusteral space known as the Great
Attractor.
A
few photos of other galaxies from the Hubbell telescope:
©2002 Robert Willey