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As if the year 2020 wasn’t “ unprecedented ” enough, astronomers have learned that the Earth is actually 2,000 light-years closer to the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way than previously thought.
Furthermore, our solar system is pushing through space at seven kilometers per second faster than scientists had calculated.
The stellar discoveries are thanks to a new and improved map of the Milky Way, released this week and based on observations collected by the Japanese Astronomy Project over the past 15 years, along with other recent data.
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One light year equals 9.5 trillion kilometers, so while it may seem like the end is near at first, scientists have pointed out that there is no reason to worry about Earth’s repeated proximity to Sagittarius A *.
Instead of spelling out impending doom, the new modeling allows scientists to determine the Earth’s position within the galaxy with a greater degree of accuracy.
Our newly drawn Milky Way galaxy is the result of observations from telescopes all over Japan, which make up the “Vera” radio astronomy project. Founded in 2000, VERA stands for VLBI (Very Long Basic Interferometry) exploration for radio astronomy.
The project uses “interferometry” technology to combine data from multiple telescopes across Japan, creating an ultra-high-definition resolution of 10 microseconds – in other words, it is quite focused on locating a coin on the surface of the moon.
Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory revealed Thursday that its astronomers, along with other groups, have produced a file “Site map and speed” Which they used to calculate the center of the galaxy.
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Astronomers have claimed that this galactic center is 25,800 light-years from Earth, about 2,000 light-years closer than the official distance of the International Astronomical Union of 27,700 light-years, over which it settled in 1985.
As 2020 continues to move at dizzying speeds, the new map has also led astronomers to discover that Earth is already orbiting the center of the Milky Way at 227km / s, rather than the slower official speed of 220km / s. s.
VERA researchers are now trying to create more detailed maps of the region near the central supermassive black hole, using telescope data from Japan, South Korea and China.
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