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Astrophysics/measure of movement in space

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Expert: - 6/10/2009


Question
I watch a lot of nasa channel and I was wondering this....Speed of orbiting craft are giving quite a bit, but does this take into account that we are moving through space, around the sun, which is in turn revolving on our leg of the milky way, which is in itself traveling through space?

Answer
No, we travel through space relative to the Sun and center of the Galaxy at much higher velocities than orbital velocity relative to the surface of the Earth.  We generally don't consider those velocities, we just worry about the orbital velocity that keeps us up in space.

Astrophysics

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Steve Nelson

Expertise

Fusion, solar flares, cosmic rays, radiation in space, and stellar physics questions. Generally, nuclear-related astrophysics, but I can usually point you in the right direction if it's not nuclear-related or if it's nuclear but not astrophysics.

Experience

Currently a physics professor at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin. Doctoral dissertation was on a reaction in CNO-cycle fusion, worked in gamma-ray astronomy in the space science division of the naval research laboratory in the high-energy space environment branch.

Organizations
Physics professor at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Education/Credentials
Ph.D. in physics, research was on nuclear fusion reactions important in stellar fusion.

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