Question

evidence notebook 25. would the stars orbiting the center of the milky way behave similarly to a planet or comit orbiting a star? record your evidence.

Explanation:

Stars orbiting the Milky Way's center follow gravitational rules analogous to planets orbiting a star, not comets. Key evidence:

1. Orbital Shape: Both stars around the Milky Way and planets around a star have nearly circular, stable orbits, while comets have highly elliptical, eccentric orbits that bring them close to their star then far away.
2. Gravitational Dominance: The Milky Way's central supermassive black hole (and surrounding mass) provides a steady, dominant gravitational anchor for orbiting stars, just as a star's gravity dominates planets. Comets are often influenced by other celestial bodies, altering their paths.
3. Orbital Speed Consistency: Stars in the Milky Way maintain relatively consistent orbital speeds matching their distance from the center (per galactic rotation curves, adjusted for dark matter), similar to planets' orbital speed patterns. Comets speed up dramatically near their star and slow to a crawl at the far end of their orbit.

Answer:

Stars orbiting the center of the Milky Way behave similarly to a planet orbiting a star, not a comet.