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When SkySafari 6 Pro Says The Sun Is Located At 0 Degrees Galactic Longitude, What Does This Mean? (Answer: Read On!)

Isaac Stain

September 03, 2020 17:26

Answered

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I'm using Sky Safari Pro 6. When it says the Sun is located at 0 degrees galactic longitude, what does this mean? Does this mean that the Sun is pointed towards the galactic center? I notice that this happens every time the Sun nears constellation Sagittarius. As the Sun travels away from Sagittarius, the degrees longitude increases, and then goes back to zero degrees near Sagittarius, which happens around December. Does the Sun travel 360 degrees around the galactic center every single year?

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2 comments

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  Chris September 04, 2020 05:47

  Here's what I found from the manual:

  Galactic - In the Galactic coordinate system, longitude and latitude in the sky are akin to longitude and latitude on the Earth. Galactic coordinates are defined by the plane of our Milky Way galaxy. Galactic longitude is measured westward along the galactic equator from 0° at the galactic center, located in the constellation Sagittarius, to 360°. Galactic latitude is measured from 0° on the galactic equator to +90° at the north galactic pole and -90° at the south galactic pole. Galactic coordinates are used most commonly for dynamical studies of stars, star clusters, galaxies, and other objects outside the solar system. Please Note: Galactic coordinates are only available in SkySafari Pro.

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  Isaac Stain September 04, 2020 11:07

  Thank you so much for your help again, Chris! This totally answered my question!