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Q&A: General Astronomy and Space Science

Q:
Is our solar system moving or travelling within our galaxy? Is our galaxy travelling or moving in the universe? If so, how fast?

A:
Yes, our solar system is indeed traveling within our galaxy. Our galaxy is a spiral galaxy that, from a distance, may look a bit like:
http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2001/10/
Our star, the Sun, is about 3/4 of the way out from the center, on one of the spiral arms. The Sun (with its planets, which comprise our solar system) then travels in an orbit around the center of the galaxy, at a velocity (i.e. speed) of a few hundred kilometers per second.

And yes, our whole galaxy is also traveling through space. Our galaxy's velocity is several hundred kilometers per second (to be technically correct, this velocity is with respect to the cosmic microwave background).

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