Where is Taurus in Relation to the Sun's Orbit in the Milky Way?

  • Thread starter Bjarne
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In summary, Pioneer 10 was not flying in the direction of a specific constellation like Taurus, but rather towards intergalactic space. The direction towards the center of the Milky Way is towards the constellation Sagittarius, located near Scorpius. The Milky Way surrounds us and the supermassive Black Hole at its center is located in Sagittarius.
  • #1
Bjarne
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Pioneer 10 was heading Taurus, but where is Taurus relative to the suns orbit direction, or relative to the center of the galaxy etc..

I want to know which direction Pioneer 10 was flying, relative to the Suns orbit motion direction.

http://flylyf.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/clover24.jpg
 
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  • #2
Well the short answer is Taurus isn't anywhere. The stars that make up the constellation are all at different distances and places in the milkyway. Its only from our point of view that they appear to make up that particular shape.

That being said, if you extended a line in the direction of that part of the sky (which isn't a very well defined direction...) then you'd be heading out toward intergalactic space as you left the disk. i.e. away from the bulge.
 
  • #3
Is it possible to ask like this; which astrologic sign is the direction towards the center of the Milky way, when aiming towards the sun middle of that sign at 12 a clock PM
 
  • #4
Bjarne said:
Is it possible to ask like this; which astrologic sign is the direction towards the center of the Milky way, when aiming towards the sun middle of that sign at 12 a clock PM

Sagittarius, close to where it borders Scorpius.
 
  • #5
The Milky Way is all around us. The supermassive Black Hole at the center is located in the constellation Sagittarius. The dust cloud makes a ring around the visible sky from Sagittariius thru Cygnus, Cassiopea and Canis Major traveling around the Southern Hemisphere also then back thru to Sagittarius.
 

FAQ: Where is Taurus in Relation to the Sun's Orbit in the Milky Way?

Where is Taurus located in the Milky Way galaxy?

Taurus is located in the northern hemisphere of the Milky Way, close to the galactic plane. Its coordinates are approximately between 4 and 21 hours of right ascension and 10 and 30 degrees of declination.

How far away is Taurus from Earth?

Taurus is approximately 430 light years away from Earth, making it one of the closest constellations to us.

What type of stars are found in Taurus?

Taurus is home to a variety of stars, including red giants, white dwarfs, and main sequence stars. The most famous star in Taurus is Aldebaran, a red giant with a diameter 44 times that of our Sun.

Are there any notable objects or phenomena in Taurus?

Yes, there are several notable objects in Taurus, including the Crab Nebula, which is the remnant of a supernova explosion, and the Pleiades star cluster, which is a young open cluster of stars. Taurus is also known for its many dark nebulae, which are regions of dense dust that block out light from the stars behind them.

Can Taurus be seen with the naked eye?

Yes, Taurus is one of the 12 zodiac constellations and can be seen with the naked eye from most locations on Earth. It is most visible in the winter and spring months in the northern hemisphere.

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