Message-Id: <l03110706b35154c9f9f6@[192.174.2.173]>
In-Reply-To: <901a626c.2458f0d8@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 1 May 1999 17:08:18 -0800
To: "Pinhole Listserv" <pinhole@exploratorium.edu>
From: Paul Doherty <pauld@exploratorium.edu>
Subject: Re: pinhole Sun Movement
Hi Amy
I waited for other answers but here's mine.
When we look at the blackbody radiation coming to use from the big bang we
see that it is doppler shifted. Blue in one direction and red opposite.
This tells us that we on the earth are moving relative to the frame of
reference of the big bang, the original frame of reference of the Universe.
When we look at the local stars we can watch them move with respect to the
distant stars.Our sun is moving too. Its like when you drive along, the
nearby trees zip by quickly, the more distant ones drift by and the distant
ones hardly move at all. Except, the nearby stars aren't like trees, they
are all in motion too. It is more like ahuge swarm of bees with all in
motion including us. But, if you look at every bees position with respect
to every other bees position you can figure out your own motion plus those
of all the other nearby bees. That's what we do, look at the local stars
and find that the motion is organized into an orbit of the Milky Way. So we
know we are orbiting the milky way because we see the local strars move
with respect to the background stars.
Paul Doherty
Paul "But it is more complicated than that!" Doherty,
Senior Staff Scientist, The Exploratorium.
pauld@exploratorium.edu, www.exo.net/~pauld