Towards a Galactic Science Driver: The Solar System’s Motion Through the Galaxy • Part 1
Our Galaxy presents mankind with a new scientific frontier, expressed in different ways. In astronomical terms, it is not clear how the galaxy exists and operates as a single, unified system. In terms of the Earth’s history, we see records of dramatic climate changes, variations in geophysical activity, and even fluctuations in the evolutionary process of life all corresponding to the changing relationship of our Solar System with the Galaxy. While these are often presented as independent studies, the 2015 Basement research report “Towards a Galactic Science Driver” examines these as aspects of a single challenge: the quest to understand the unifying principle of our Galaxy, as Kepler had discovered the unifying principle of our Solar System.
In a continuation of this effort, here we will examine what we know (and what we don’t know) about the motion of our Solar System through the Galaxy. This will be addressed in a series of posts.
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