The Sun, along with the entire solar system, takes approximately 230 to 250 million years to complete one full orbit around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. This orbital period is often called a "galactic year" or "cosmic year"
- The Sun moves at an average speed of about 828,000 km/hr (around 500,000 miles per hour) as it orbits the galactic center
- The Sun is currently located about 26,000 to 28,000 light-years from the Galactic Center, near the Orion arm of the Milky Way
- Over its 4.6 billion-year lifetime, the Sun has completed roughly 18 to 20 such orbits around the galaxy
- The Sun's orbit is roughly elliptical and influenced by the galaxy's spiral arms and mass distribution, causing some variations in its orbital period
In summary, one complete orbit of the Sun around the Milky Way takes on the order of 230 million years, a vast timescale compared to human history or even the age of dinosaurs
