Is the speed our galaxy is currently travelling through the universe affecting our space/time?

Question

Has this speed been measured in any way? Since mass increases towards infinity as speed is increased towards the speed of light, what happens to mass as speed is decreased towards zero?

Answer 1

How about a simple answer, for a change:

"Is the speed our galaxy is currently travelling through the universe affecting our space/time?"

Regardless of our "relative" velocity, doubtless it is - but not so's you'd notice, without the help of instrumentation.

Yes, it's been measured, in relation to other objects in our universe.

Mass, as speed decreases toward zero, decreases, but near zero, relativistic effects are so slight as to be negligible.

Answer 2

There is no such thing as an absolute "speed of our galaxy". Speeds are always measured with respect to some frame of reference. In our galaxy's frame of reference, our galaxy is not moving at all....everything else is moving around it. In another galaxy's reference frame, our galaxy could be moving quite fast.
The point is that since there are no absolute speeds (due to the lack of a absolute coordinate system in the universe), different observers in different reference frames will get different measurements.

At a speed of "Zero" (ie. at rest in the given reference frame), the mass of the object is measured to the object's "rest mass".

Answer 3

You know I've thinking about that 1st question for a long time. Dunno about the answer yet. Check out "Milky Way" in Wikipedia.

Quote:

"In the general sense, the absolute speed of any object through space is not a meaningful question according to Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, which declares that there is no "preferred" inertial frame of reference in space with which to compare the galaxy's motion. (Motion must always be specified with respect to another object.)

With this in mind, many astronomers believe the galaxy is moving through space at approximately 600km per second relative to the observed locations of other nearby galaxies. Most recent estimates range from 130 km/s to 1,000 km/s. If indeed the Milky Way is moving at 600 km per second, we are travelling 51.84 million km per day, or more than 18.9 billion km per year. "

Answer 4

As speed is increased towards the speed of light, mass doesn't increase if you have inertia dampaners on your ship.

As speed approaches zero...well I'm sitting here and I feel 160lbs...soo I guess that answers that question

Answer 5

It's all relative, you must remember.

For example if I was running close to the speed of light, and I weighed 150 pounds, I would feel like I was 150 pounds. However, my coach, who is NOT running (but is watching me), sees me a very massive object. To him I might be 150,000 pounds.

So if two objects were moving at the same velocity (speed in a specific direction), they would percieve each other as if they weren't moving at all.

For instance, If I was running with my coach, and we were both moving close to the speed of light (zero overall velocity with respect to each other), and I was 150 pounds.... He would see me as 150 pounds.