Expert: Tom Whiting - 12/19/2010

Question
QUESTION: It is the point in the sky towards which we are moving, according to the CMBR.

I want to plot (not observe) that point, using it's azimuthal coordinates.

Do you know who can help me with this ?

ANSWER: Oh, you said... celestial "object" in your first request.
I don't think that point is determinable as yet, from the COBE and WMAP results of the CMBR.
(Except by the 'crazy' metaphysics groups, see
http://unitedcats.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/the-axis-of-evil-the-cmbr-dipole-anis

In reality, since we (our Milky Way Galaxy) are inside the influence of the Big Bang event some
14 billion years ago, and since we can't ever view it from the "outside looking in"... we may never be able to determine our velocity and direction relative to the CMBR, (If any)... which completely surrounds us (the entire known Universe).  And even if someday we could, the results would be academic, because the direction vector would be meaningless, as would the reverse direction.
Also, it could really turn out to be that those microscopic temperature differences in the COBE and WMAP results are just that... temperature differences in space at the time of 380,000 years ABB... and NOT due to our velocity and/or line of flight through the CMBR.  In fact, I believe Occam's Razor would prefer my answer over some "mysterious" cosmic background vector that we are 'traveling' on.
Just my opinion,
Clear Skies,
Tom Whiting
Erie, PA USA




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm just using the galactic coordinates reported in some paper I found: The implied velocity of the Local Group with respect to the CMB rest frame is 627 +/- 22 km/s toward (l,b) = (276 +/- 3 deg, 30 +/- 3 deg)... I just want to be able to plot that point's azimutal coordinates in Matlab, with 5 minute frequency, between a range of dates. I need a software that can do the conversion and export the points to a file. What would you do to solve this ?

Answer
Sorry, I'm not into computers or the higher math... I can barely do E-mail and get on the internet, at age 69.  You need a younger generation astronomer to help you with all that computer talk.
But I believe those coordinates are of the Local Group movement relative to the center of the Virgo supercluster of Galaxies (centered on M-87), of which we (the Local Group) are a member of, and at a velocity of about 600 km/sec.  I've read that we (the Local Group) are heading toward a point near the Leo/Virgo border, orbiting the Virgo Supercluster counterclockwise as seen from above, at roughly that same velocity.  So it's in relation to our parent Virgo supercluster, and not the CMBR.  However, another reference I just read puts the Local Group heading toward the Hydra/Centaurus border at, again, about 600 km/sec... so I guess more data is needed on this problem.  So, sorry I can't help with the new-fangled computers or that software that you speak of.
Clear skies,
Tom