The reason why Sun climbs above and dives below the galactic plane

Ever since I came to know that the Sun not only climbs above the galactic plane but even dives below the galactic plane, I have been curious to know the reason behind it.

About three years back, I had even posted a query to know the reason what makes the Sun climb above the galactic plane and dive below the galactic plane on stackexchange.com but my query had been rejected because it was not found to be relevant to astronomy.

Though I also lost interest in knowing the reason, however back in my subconscious, this query kept on urging me to look into the reason.

So I kept on looking for the reason.

Though I am not sure whether this is the right reason or not, still I thought of sharing what I have been able to dig out.

I have been quite restless to know the reason ever since I saw the following diagram.

Does it not imply that the Sun should be getting pulled upward by some object as well as getting pulled downward by some object?

It is as simple as anything.

If the force which may be pulling the Sun upward may exceed the force with which various stars located in the galactic plane may be pulling it toward the galactic plane, it may be climbing upward and if the force which may be pulling it downward may be exceeding the force with which various stars located in the galactic plane may be pulling it toward the galactic plane, it may be sinking below the galactic plane.

Any doubt about it?

At least, I do not doubt about it.

Now think about the constellations which are located above the galactic plane and the constellations which are located below the galactic plane.

Nowadays, the solar system lies about 30,000 light-years from the galactic center, and about 20 light-years above the plane of our galaxy — “Milky Way”.

Above and below the Milky Way, there are countless other galaxies.

Though the orientation of galaxies above or below the galactic plane is not absolute since it depends on the reference point, I have gathered some general information.

Some of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way include the Andromeda Galaxy, the Triangulum Galaxy, and the Large Magellanic Cloud.

There are, also many clusters of galaxies, such as the Virgo Cluster and the Coma Cluster, which contain thousands of galaxies. Additionally, there are many galaxy groups and galaxy filaments, which are large structures made up of many galaxies.

When referring to the galactic coordinate system, which is based on the celestial sphere, projected onto the Milky Way, some galaxies can be considered to be above the galactic plane. For example, the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is located at an angle of about 77 degrees above the galactic plane. Other galaxies like the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) and the Pinwheel Galaxy (M101) are also located above the galactic plane in relation to the Milky Way.

Similarly, there are galaxies which can be considered to be below the galactic plane. The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) are two satellite galaxies of the Milky Way that are located below the galactic plane.

Well, these are not the only galaxies which are above or below the galactic plane.

There are even some other notable galaxies located above and below the galactic plane.

For instance, the following galaxies are also above the galactic plane.

1. NGC 253: Also known as the Sculptor Galaxy, NGC 253 is a spiral galaxy located about 25 degrees above the galactic plane.
2. NGC 891: Another edge-on spiral galaxy, NGC 891, is located approximately 13 degrees above the galactic plane.

3. NGC 3628: Also called the Hamburger Galaxy or Caldwell 36, NGC 3628 is an edge-on spiral galaxy located at an angle of approximately 20 degrees above the galactic plane. It is part of the Leo Triplet, a group of galaxies.

4. NGC 4244: This edge-on spiral galaxy is situated about 16 degrees above the galactic plane. It is often referred to as the Silver Needle Galaxy due to its elongated shape.

5. NGC 4565: This edge-on spiral galaxy is sometimes called the Needle Galaxy. It is situated at an angle of around 14 degrees above the galactic plane.

1. NGC 4631: Known as the Whale Galaxy or Caldwell 32, NGC 4631 is an edge-on spiral galaxy located about 23 degrees above the galactic plane. It is notable for its distorted shape, likely caused by interactions with neighboring galaxies.

Likewise, the following galaxies are also below the galactic plane.

1. NGC 55: Also known as the Sculptor Group galaxy, NGC 55 is situated at an angle of approximately 8 degrees below the galactic plane.
2. NGC 300: This spiral galaxy can be found about 11 degrees below the galactic plane.
3. NGC 1313: This barred spiral galaxy is located about 5 degrees below the galactic plane.

4. NGC 1316: Also called the Fornax A or Caldwell 77, NGC 1316 is an elliptical galaxy located about 17 degrees below the galactic plane. It is notable for its active galactic nucleus and radio emission.

5. NGC 2537: Known as the Bear Claw Galaxy or Caldwell 65, NGC 2537 is a spiral galaxy located about 9 degrees below the galactic plane. It is part of the M81 Group of galaxies.

1. NGC 4945: This barred spiral galaxy can be found approximately 13 degrees below the galactic plane. It is often considered a sister galaxy to the Milky Way due to its similar structure.

Though the positions of the galaxies can vary and their positions relative to the galactic plane can change over time due to factors such as gravitational interactions and galactic dynamics, does it not imply that the super-massive black hole of some galaxy situated just above the Sun above the galactic plane should be pulling the Sun upward?

Does it also not imply that, likewise, the super-massive black hole of some galaxy situated below the Sun below the galactic plane should be pulling the Sun downward?

THOUGH THERE MAY BE SUCH SUPER-MASSIVE BLACK HOLES OF SOME GALAXIES ABOVE AND BELOW THE GALACTIC PLANE AS BEING SPECULATED BY ME; I ALSO SPECULATE THAT SINCE THE SUN FOLLOWS A SINUSOIDAL PATH, THE PATHS TRACED BY SUCH BLACK HOLES MAY ALSO BE NOT ONLY SINUSOIDAL, THEY MAY BE OVERLAPPING THE PATH TRACED BY THE SUN AND EVEN THE WAVELENGTHS OF THEIR PATHS AND THE WAVELENGTH OF THE PATH TRACED BY THE SUN MAY BE SAME.

Though I don’t know whether to study whether it is so or not is already on the agenda of the International Society of Astronomers or not, if not — I think, it very much deserves to be included in their agenda.

Anyway, I would like to express my thanks to POE for providing me with the above information.

If it had not provided this information, I would have been still lurching for an answer to my query and would have been wondering what makes the Sun climb above the galactic plane and sink below the galactic plane.