Astronomy For Rednecks

Earth revolves around the Sun but how fast does it travel? The answer is quickly obtained using elementary junior high school geometry (the familiar c = pi x D formula) where, in this case, D = 2 x 93,000,000 miles or 186,000,000 miles

Therefore c = 3.14 x 186,000,000 miles = 584,000,000 miles. Therefore the orbital speed is 584,000,000 miles / 365 days per year / 24 hours per day. ... or 66,671 miles per hour.

See there? Easy and fun. The next step is almost as easy. But first know this: Every galaxy is filled with "star dust" (interstellar gas), the remains -- the debris fields -- of spent stars. Most stars remain inside the debris field while a few occasionally breach the surface of this field of "dust" as they orbit other stars.

Why is this important? Novas constantly bombard Earth with cosmic radiation (which can "seed" clouds and drive climate) and the heliosphere is a relatively weak radiation shield (the Sun is not the "climate driver").

However, the Orion Arm's interstellar gas stream can provide tremendous radiation shielding depending on Earth's depth of penetration.

How does the Sun move in and out of this dust stream? Many people do not realize that stars move; it is well known that stars can be "gravitationally associated." Astronomers are often unable to detect such movement because it requires observation over very large periods of time, perhaps centuries.

But, thanks to AL GORE, the inventor of the Internet, we have (drum roll, please) the Vostok Ice Core chart. Take a look at this much-abused chart and then do the simple math to find out Earth's orbital speed around Alpha Centauri.

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