<p>The orbit of the Sun around the Galaxy is quite complicated, because unlike the solar system, the mass is not completely concentrated at the centre. So, in addition to the roughly circular 230 million year orbit in the plane of the Galaxy, there are superimposed motions in and out of the plane and towards and away from the Galactic centre. These roughly sinusoidal additional motions, called epicycles, do not have large amplitudes - a few hundred light years - and take about 70 million and 160 million years respectively.</p>

<p>The Sun does not systematically orbit any other Galactic structures or stars (see the flagged potential duplicates for more details - there is no evidence for any binary companion to the Sun larger than a few Jupiter masses)  and is unlikely to do so in the forseeable future. The space between the stars in our Galaxy is large enough that they are essentially non-interacting.</p>

<p>The Galaxy itself is in motion with respect to the galaxies around it. The nearest tens of galaxies form the local group and probably have complicated orbits within their summed gravitational potential. These orbits cannot be precisely determined, because although we can measure line of sight velocities using the Doppler effect, the tangential motions require extraordinarily accurate position data over many years. These are now becoming available - for instance we know our Galaxy and M31 will collide in around 4 billion years.</p>

<p>Further afield, the local group is part of a larger galaxy aggregate, called the Virgo supercluster, but here, determining an orbit is impossible.</p>

<p>Even further, large galaxy clusters are arranged into a web of larger superclusters, voids and filaments that are all in motion with respect to each other.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-04-01T10:05:59.273Z
This is a fascinating answer in need of a new question!
uhoh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T07:37:45.270Z
2015-03-19T07:45:39.550Z
2015-03-19T07:45:39.550Z
ProfRob
<p>Does our solar system orbit around another massive celestial object? Like a massive star or black hole for instance? From my understanding our sun rotates around the centre of our galaxy, thus our solar system follows. But I'm curious to know if there is/are other(s) gravitational force(s) that affect our suns? Other than the rotation around the centre of the milky way.</p>

<p>It would make sense to me that the gravity of massive objects would affect our sun, which in turn would affect our solar system, but I cannot find any answers other than ones concerning the "galactic year".</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T02:35:43.327Z
Possible duplicates: https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/10124/is-it-possible-that-the-sun-has-a-binary-partner-the-nemesis-theory-that-has-e, https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/2531/is-sun-a-part-of-a-binary-system?lq=1
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T02:43:36.960Z
Oh, and this one: https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/10017/does-the-sun-turn-around-a-big-star?lq=1
HDE 226868
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-19T02:55:24.113Z
Thanks! Next time I'll check for a duplicate before posting.
Jon Philbin
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-11-11T22:33:53.087Z
the galaxy itself including the sun will converge with andromeda, and then our local group with the m81 group afterwards i presume, not much info on it, worth another topic.
bandybabboon
<orbit><the-sun><gravity><solar-system><galaxy>
Does our sun/solar system orbit around any other celestial objects?
Jon Philbin
# Does our sun/solar system orbit around any other celestial objects?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-03-19)

Does our solar system orbit around another massive celestial object? Like a massive star or black hole for instance? From my understanding our sun rotates around the centre of our galaxy, thus our solar system follows. But I'm curious to know if there is/are other(s) gravitational force(s) that affect our suns? Other than the rotation around the centre of the milky way.

It would make sense to me that the gravity of massive objects would affect our sun, which in turn would affect our solar system, but I cannot find any answers other than ones concerning the "galactic year".

**Tags:** orbit, the-sun, gravity, solar-system, galaxy

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Possible duplicates: https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/10124/is-it-possible-that-the-sun-has-a-binary-partner-the-nemesis-theory-that-has-e, https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/2531/is-sun-a-part-of-a-binary-system?lq=1  
> **username_1**: Oh, and this one: https://astronomy.stackexchange.com/questions/10017/does-the-sun-turn-around-a-big-star?lq=1  
> **username_0**: Thanks! Next time I'll check for a duplicate before posting.  
> **username_2**: the galaxy itself including the sun will converge with andromeda, and then our local group with the m81 group afterwards i presume, not much info on it, worth another topic.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-03-19. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

The orbit of the Sun around the Galaxy is quite complicated, because unlike the solar system, the mass is not completely concentrated at the centre. So, in addition to the roughly circular 230 million year orbit in the plane of the Galaxy, there are superimposed motions in and out of the plane and towards and away from the Galactic centre. These roughly sinusoidal additional motions, called epicycles, do not have large amplitudes - a few hundred light years - and take about 70 million and 160 million years respectively.

The Sun does not systematically orbit any other Galactic structures or stars (see the flagged potential duplicates for more details - there is no evidence for any binary companion to the Sun larger than a few Jupiter masses) and is unlikely to do so in the forseeable future. The space between the stars in our Galaxy is large enough that they are essentially non-interacting.

The Galaxy itself is in motion with respect to the galaxies around it. The nearest tens of galaxies form the local group and probably have complicated orbits within their summed gravitational potential. These orbits cannot be precisely determined, because although we can measure line of sight velocities using the Doppler effect, the tangential motions require extraordinarily accurate position data over many years. These are now becoming available - for instance we know our Galaxy and M31 will collide in around 4 billion years.

Further afield, the local group is part of a larger galaxy aggregate, called the Virgo supercluster, but here, determining an orbit is impossible.

Even further, large galaxy clusters are arranged into a web of larger superclusters, voids and filaments that are all in motion with respect to each other.

> **Comments:**
> **username_4**: This is a fascinating answer in need of a new question!  

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