Measuring sun's true direction

Surely the material of these gas and dust 'lanes' that 'hold' up stars as they move through them is not solid. The individual particles that makes up these lanes, do they also move at the same speed as the stars orbiting the galaxy? More specifically, do they orbit the galaxy or spiral out?
I somehow get the impression that it might be a similar effect as with the 'spokes' in saturns rings. It's not the spokes themself that orbit the planet - they are not solid, but an effect on the ring particles at that point as they move through the area where the spoke is - causing the spoke to appear to orbit as solid.

Just an idea

Rudolf

This is more along the lines of the topic's title:

I am reading earth's orbit is elliptical and as a consequense of that it must change it's speed near the perihelion and the aphelion so that it's angular momentum stays constant. My question: why don't we feel the speed change or do we? How big is that change? I know for the speed to change even a bit some energy is needed or fuel. Where's that coming from?

Any rocket scientists here. I just fix cars. If this question is stupid my apoligies to you in advance.

I'm not the relevant expert here but the answer is in the line of: as the earth (or any orbiting object) orbits the sun the sum of potential and kinetic energy must remain the same. The further away the earth from the sun the more it's potential energy from gravity attraction falling into the sun and vice versa.
Seen another way, as the earth starts to 'fall' towards the sun its speeds up. But luckily (for us and any orbiting object) things 'move' in space thus the earth will miss the sun in its fall and kind of continue on an outwards path again until the sun's gravity has suffieciently slowed it down to pull it in for another round (sounds like fishing...)

The fuel in this case is gravity (plus the existing motion of the bodies) - plain and simple.

Hope this makes sense in laymens terms.

Rudolf
(not a fishy story)

Rudolf, thanks mate but this sounds like it's not my piece of cake.

From Rudolf:

The further away the earth from the sun the more it's potential energy from gravity attraction falling into the sun and vice versa.

---

I thougth it's the reverse. The further away the less the potential energy is, something like GMsun/d , d is the distance.

From Rudolf:

Seen another way, as the earth starts to 'fall' towards the sun its speeds up.

---

I see nothing falling noplace. Is that's a laymans way of explaining what's happening? That's not what is happening. Nothing falls no place.

From Rudolf once again (the layman)

The fuel in this case is gravity (plus the existing motion of the bodies) - plain and simple.

---

Where is the exhaust pipe? Motion can't be fuel by itself. Fuel is needed for change in motion. No Fuel, no change in motion.

Sorry Rudolf. Anyone else want to try? Don't have to be a layman, sleeping or awake.

Any rocket scientists here?

I can ait, I am fixing a couple cars right now.

The orbit of Earth is a mystery and there seems to be little interest in even looking at this by astronomers. They have bigger fish to fry and the orbit of Earth takes care of itself anyway so why bother with figuring it out right?

From Jim

The orbit of Earth is a mystery ...

---

Mysterious is the Mind of the Creator...

I read the posts on this board and elsewhere and the rocket scientists seem to be biting their lips, some say it's elliptic but like a circle, others say is a circle but like an ellipse, "falling" earth, moon illusions and the like.

Bouncing radio signals on the sun gets them fried away, don't they? Who knows what's going on for sure? Is there a rope of some kind between the sun and the earth? I read here small particles bombarding the earth and the sun pushing along a line and keeping them together. Got to be kidding. You bombard something sooner or later it like a firecracker, save bombarding the whole universe with that staff. God ain't crazy playing with bombs.

Do we know for sure the orbit of the earth, I mean exact distance from the center of the sun, measured, not estimated by a formula? The moon looks huge at the horizon. I've been doing some reading and there are at least 30 theories why it that. The latest one says people are stupid and confuse the size of the moon in their heads. When scientists can't explain something they claim people are stupid.

Any rocket scientists here?