Question

Consider the following statements: 

1. Our solar system is located in the orion arm of the Milky way galaxy, about two-third of the way out from the centre. 

2. The solar system formed from an interstellar cloud of dust and gas or nebulla about 4.6 billion years ago. 

Which of the above statements is/are correct? 

(a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer 1

(c) Our solar system is located in the orion arm of the milky way galaxy, about two-third of the way out from the centre. The sun is about 26,000 light-years from the center of the Milky Way Galaxy, which is about 80,000 to 120,000 light-years across (and less than 7,000 light-years thick). We are located on one of its spiral arms, out towards the edge. It takes the sun (and our solar system) roughly 200-250 million years to orbit once around the Milky Way. In this orbit, we (and the rest of the Solar System) are traveling at a velocity of about 155 miles/sec (250 km/sec).