Homework Statement The solar system is 25,000 light years from the center of our Milky Way galaxy. One light year is the distance light travels in one year at a speed of 3.0*10^8 m/s. Astronomers have determined that the solar system is orbiting the center of the galaxy at a speed of 230 km/s. A)Assuming the orbit is circular, what is the period of the solar system's orbit? Give your answer in years. B) Our solar system was formed roughly 5 billion years ago. How many orbits has it completed?
Homework Statement The solar system is 25,000 light years from the center of our Milky Way galaxy. One light year is the distance light travels in one year at a speed of 3.0*10^8 m/s. Astronomers have determined that the solar system is orbiting the center of the galaxy at a speed of 230 km/s. A)Assuming the orbit is circular, what is the period of the solar system's orbit? Give your answer in years.
B) Our solar system was formed roughly 5 billion years ago. How many orbits has it completed?
c) The gravitational force on the solar system is the net force due to all the matter inside our orbit. Most of that matter is concentrated near the center of the galaxy. Assume that the matter has a spherical distribution, like a giant star. What is the approximate mass of the galactic center?
D)Assume that the sun is a typical star with a typical mass. If galactic matter is made up of stars, approximately how many stars are in the center of the galaxy?
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