When viewed from above, i.e., looking down from the North Galactic Pole towards the South Galactic Pole, does the sun rotate clockwise or counterclockwise around the Galactic center?
Asked
Active
Viewed 93 times
2
-
Related: In which direction does the Milky Way rotate? – Mike G Apr 18 '18 at 18:53
1 Answers
2
Backer and Sramek 1999 observed that relative to more distant radio sources, the galactic center Sgr A* had a heliocentric proper motion of about -6 milliarcseconds per year in galactic longitude. Reid et al. 1999 reported a similar result. Looking from NGP to SGP, galactic longitude increases counterclockwise, a decrease in longitude is a clockwise motion, and the Sun revolves clockwise around the galactic center.

Mike G
- 18,640
- 1
- 26
- 65