Motion is relative, in that it's only meaningful when comparing the motion of one object with respect to another. This is why it isn’t possible to meaningfully judge how fast you’re moving through space.
Due to Earth’s rotation, your speed (relative to Earth’s centre) depends on your latitude, but can’t exceed 1,670km/h (1,040mph). The maximum speed of Earth as it orbits the Sun is 109,000km/h (67,700mph).
As the Solar System orbits around the centre of the Milky Way, it’s travelling at about 828,000km/h (514,000 mph).
Of course, all these speeds are changing direction relative to each other, so unfortunately, we can’t simply add them together to get your overall speed.
What we can do, though, is define your speed relative to the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the faint relic radiation left over from the Big Bang.
This speed turns out to be about 1,332,000km/h (828,000mph), towards a point in the sky in the constellation of Leo.
But, since the Sun’s rotation around the centre of the Milky Way is essentially the opposite of the galaxy’s direction of travel through the Universe, the Milky Way is actually moving at about 2,257,200km/h (1,402,560mph) relative to the CMB.
As fast as it sounds, your motion relative to the CMB is only about 0.1 per cent of the speed of light. This means that, for you, time runs about 15.7 seconds per year slower than it does in the reference frame of the CMB.
This article is an answer to the question (asked by Keith Thompson, Warrington) 'What speed am I travelling, right now?'
To submit your questions, email us at questions@sciencefocus.com, or message our Facebook, X, or Instagram pages (don't forget to include your name and location).
Check out our ultimate fun facts page for more mind-blowing science
Read more:


