How many different directions does the Earth move in space?

Here's my list.

1. It spins on it's axis at about 1100 mph at the equator.
2. The axis precesses in space in a great circle every 26,000 years. Projected onto the surface of the earth, the axis shifts about a mile or so per decade!
3. The Earth orbits the barycenter of the earth-moon system once every 28 days. It's a small circle with a radius of only a few thousand miles so the speed of movement is very small.
4. It orbits the Sun at about 20 km/sec once every 364.25 days.
5. The Sun moves inside the Milky Way at about 250 km/sec
6. The Milky Way moves inside the Local Group of Galaxies at about 300 km/sec
7. The Local Group moves towards the Virgo Cluster at a few hundred km/sec
8. The Virgo Cluster moves within the Local Super Cluster at a few hundred km/sec
9. The Local Super Cluster MAY have a peculiar motion towards the Great Attractor at a few hundred km/sec

Copyright 1997 Dr. Sten Odenwald

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