Can anybody tell me how and when does the astronomers found out that the sun is orbiting the galactic core?

Answer 1

The Sun's motion through space was first calculated by William Herschel in the late 1700's. However, astronomers generally thought we were close to the center of the Milky way until 1920, when Harlow Shapley presented a reasonably correct account of the size of the Milky Way and our solar system's place in it. Our knowledge of the Milky Way has been considerably refined since then.

The basic method for determining stellar motions through the galaxy has remained the same since Herschel's time - analysis of the apparent motions of stars. The amount and quality of the data, and the tools used, have improved considerably over the years, and continue to improve.

Answer 2

People started to realize it in the 1920s when Edwin Hubble identified Cepheid variable stars in the Andromeda Galaxy which proved it was distant galaxy made of stars and not a nearby gaseous nebula. But it took until the 1930s before it was generally accepted that the Sun was not at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Previously it was thought that the Sun was at the center of the universe and the universe consisted of the stars of the Milky Way only.

Answer 3

the whole solar system is orbiting the galactic core.. when did they find out? a few hundred years ago?

Answer 4

Observation by scientists who know what to look for. Red an blue shift of mass spectrometer readings indicate movement of stars.

Answer 5

I think Galileo figured it out. He used very complexed mathamatics to figure out how. It is really confusing.