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The solar apex, or the Apex of the Sun's Way, refers to the direction that the Sun travels through space. This is not to be confused with the Sun's apparent motion through the constellations of the zodiac, which is illusory -- this supposed motion is actually caused by the Earth revolving around the Sun.
Astronomy
The general direction of the solar apex is southwest of the star Vega near the constellation of Hercules. There are several coordinates for the solar apex. The visual coordinates (as obtained by visual observation of the apparent motion) is right ascension (RA) and declination (dec) of 30° North, and in galactic coordinates as 57° galactic latitude, 27° galactic longitude. The radioastronomical position is RA and dec .
The stars in the Galaxy's disk orbit around the Galactic Center. It would take the solar system about 226 million years to complete one orbit ("galactic year"), and so is thought to have completed about 25 orbits during its lifetime. The orbital speed is 217 km/s, i.e. 1 lightyear in about 1,400 years, and 1 AU in 8 days. The sun's motion in the Milky Way is also more complex than might be immediately supposed*
The orbital speed of stars in the Milky Way does not depend much on the distance to the center: it is always between 20 and 25 km/s for the Sun's neighbours *. Hence the orbital period is approximately proportional to the distance from the star to the Galaxy's center (without the power 1.5 which applies in the case of a central mass). The disk has a bulge at the center.
The variations in the sun's galactic orbit has been cause for discussions regarding the solar passage through the arms of the Galaxy, and occurrences of events such as mass extinctions*
In winter, the brightest star of the night sky, Sirius, marks the approximate position of the solar antapex -- the direction opposite of the solar apex and Vega.
Astrological significance
Some astrologers attribute special meaning to the solar apex:
- The Solar Apex embodies the unique and majestic path of the soul. Alignments with the Solar Apex asks us to honor that we each have a soul path that is totally unique to ourselves, a path which is beyond what others can see or relate to.
For purposes of Astrology, the Solar Apex enters the ecliptic at about 7° sidereal Sagittarius, although it is separated from the galactic center by more that 60° as seen in the actual heavens.
"Solar apex"