Movement is a relative concept, gaining significance only when we compare the motion of one object against another. This is why determining our precise speed through space proves challenging.
Thanks to the Earth’s rotation, speed (relative to the Earth’s center) varies by latitude, peaking at 1,670 km/h (1,040 mph). Meanwhile, the Earth’s orbital speed around the Sun reaches a remarkable 109,000 km/h (67,700 mph).
As our solar system orbits the Milky Way’s center, it travels at an impressive 828,000 km/h (514,000 mph).
These velocities are subject to change in direction relative to one another, making it impractical to simply add them for an overall speed calculation.
Nonetheless, we can define speed in relation to the cosmic microwave background (CMB), a faint radiation remnant from the Big Bang.
Our speed relative to the CMB measures approximately 1,332,000 km/h (828,000 mph) towards a point in the constellation Leo.
Moreover, because the Sun orbits the Milky Way in a direction opposite to the galaxy’s movement through space, the Milky Way itself moves at about 2,257,200 km/h (1,402,560 mph) relative to the CMB.
This speed may seem astonishing, yet your movement relative to the CMB is only around 0.1% of the speed of light. Consequently, time passes roughly 15.7 seconds slower each year compared to the CMB reference frame.
This article responds to the inquiry from Keith Thompson of Warrington: “How fast am I traveling right now?”
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