Movement is a relative concept, gaining significance only when comparing the motion of one object to another. This relativity complicates any meaningful determination of our speed through space.
Thanks to the Earth’s rotation, speeds (relative to the Earth’s center) vary with latitude, peaking at around 1,670 km/h (1,040 mph). Meanwhile, the Earth orbits the sun at a maximum speed of 109,000 km/h (67,700 mph).
As our solar system orbits the Milky Way galaxy, it travels at a velocity of approximately 828,000 km/h (514,000 mph).
Due to the directional changes of these velocities, it’s not feasible to simply add them together for a cumulative speed.
Nevertheless, we can define velocity in relation to the cosmic microwave background (CMB), a faint remnant radiation from the Big Bang.
This relative speed is approximately 1,332,000 km/h (828,000 mph) towards a point in the constellation Leo.
Interestingly, because the Sun’s rotation around the Milky Way’s center is opposite to the galaxy’s direction through space, the Milky Way is effectively moving at about 2,257,200 km/h (1,402,560 mph) relative to the CMB.
While that may sound incredibly fast, this speed equates to only about 0.1 percent of the speed of light. Consequently, time passes roughly 15.7 seconds slower per year in comparison to the CMB reference frame.
This article addresses the query from Keith Thompson of Warrington: “How fast am I traveling right now?”
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com