The Earth rotates faster around the galaxy

The Earth accelerated 7 km / s

The Earth accelerated 7 km / s and came about 2,000 light-years closer to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. But do not worry, this does not mean that our planet is hurtling towards the black hole. In reality, the changes are the result of a better model of the Milky Way based on new observational data, including a catalog of objects observed over the course of more than 15 years by the Japanese VERA radio astronomy project.

VERA (VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry) began in 2000 to map the three-dimensional velocity and space structures in the Milky Way. VERA uses a technique known as interferometry to combine data from radio telescopes scattered throughout the Japanese archipelago in order to achieve the same resolution as a 2,300 km diameter telescope would have. The precision of the measurement achieved with this resolution, 10 microseconds, would be sharp enough in theory to resolve a penny of the United States placed on the surface of the Moon.

Astrometry

Because Earth is located within the Milky Way, we cannot go back and see what the galaxy looks like from the outside. Astrometry, a precise measurement of the positions and movements of objects, is a vital tool for understanding the general structure of the galaxy and our place in it. This year, VERA’s First Astrometry Catalog was published containing data for 99 objects.

Using the data obtained in the VERA Astrometry Catalog and studying the latest observations from different groups, the astronomers made a map of position and velocity. With this map, they calculated the center of the galaxy, the point around which everything rotates. This map shows us that the center of the galaxy and the supermassive black hole there are 25,800 light-years from Earth. This is tighter than the official value of 27,700 light-years established by the International Astronomical Union in 1985. The velocity data on the map indicates that the Earth is traveling at 227 km / s as it circles the Galactic Center. This is faster than the official value of 220 km / s.

Now VERA is observing more objects, especially those that are close to the central supermassive black hole, to better shape the movement and structure of the Galaxy. As part of these studies, VERA will participate in the EAVN (East Asia VLBI Network) which is made up of radio telescopes located in South Korea, China and Japan. By increasing the number of telescopes and the greater separation between them, EAVN can achieve much higher precision.

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