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ASK SPACE ASTROPHYSICS

Is our galaxy orbiting around an object in the universe?

Yes, the Milky Way does orbit something, and it also spins as it does so. Everything in the universe seems to be spinning while in orbit around something. The Moon spins as it goes around Earth; the Earth spins as it goes around the Sun; the Sun spins as it goes around the galactic centre 26,000 light years away.

In fact, the entire Milky Way spins as it moves in orbit around our neighbour, Andromeda, which in turn is also spinning. Around the Milky Way are two dwarf galaxies, the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds, and they will both eventually collide with us. A billion years later, the Andromeda galaxy will collide with us to form a giant future galaxy.

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All About Space
Issue 131
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