Does the sun rotate?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1661140

by pencil • 16 years ago

2 6 16 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Hi,

I'am damn curious to know if the sun rotate's on it's axis.also is it true that it revolves around the milky-way? if so does it take the entire solar system along with it?what really happens when the entire solar system gets shifted to the other side of our galaxy?

patio112• 16 years ago

Yes, or no, depending on your inertial frame of reference. Same answer as "does the sun fly through space faster than a rocket ship?"

The sun isn't taking me with it. I am also rotating around the milky way. I happen to be rather more acted upon by a big rock than either of those relationships, though.

tlammens• 16 years ago

Afaik he defined the different frames of reference. Yes it is revolving around its axis, that and the rest of the answers are to be found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun

ebneter3• 16 years ago

Actually, a rotating frame is non-inertial.

patio112• 16 years ago

A rotating frame is defined in reference to an inertial frame of reference. Consider a beach ball spinning in my hand. which way is it spinning? If we judge it by comparison to me, it might be spinning, say, clockwise around the axis perpendicular to my hand. I'd we judge it in comparison to the sun, that answer changes.

I still think I'm right here, but welcome attempts to fix my faded memories of physics.

ebneter3• 16 years ago

1. Yes, in fact it's flattened slightly as a result; its rotation period is ~25 days 2. Yes, with a period of about 240 million years 3. Not much.

Does the sun rotate?

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