- #1
KurtLudwig
Gold Member
- 144
- 31
How would the acceleration of our sun relative to our galaxy be determined?
A spaceship in orbit around our sun, with engines turned off, is in free fall. Accelerometers will read zero. Turning the engines on, the accelerometers will read the acceleration due to the thrust from the engines. Measuring the distances to nearby stars, which are also moving, is tricky. Measuring the distances to stars toward the center of our galaxy, maybe the best answer. Can brightness be used to measure distances in our galaxy?
A spaceship in orbit around our sun, with engines turned off, is in free fall. Accelerometers will read zero. Turning the engines on, the accelerometers will read the acceleration due to the thrust from the engines. Measuring the distances to nearby stars, which are also moving, is tricky. Measuring the distances to stars toward the center of our galaxy, maybe the best answer. Can brightness be used to measure distances in our galaxy?