As the world welcomes 2026, there’s a familiar rhythm to the moment: fireworks light the sky, friends and family gather, and for a moment we all pause to reflect on time past and time ahead. But beneath this calm yearly return to the same point in Earth’s journey around the Sun lies something remarkable: we are all moving through space at incredible speed even as we celebrate a new calendar year.
584 Million Miles Ahead
Earth completes one orbit around the Sun every year, tracing a path of nearly 584 million miles (940 million km) as part of our planet’s yearly journey.
While that circuit around our star feels like the cycle of seasons and festivals, it’s just one layer of motion in a much grander cosmic voyage.
Even more astonishing is the speed at which our entire solar system carries us around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Astronomers estimate that the Sun, with Earth and the rest of our planetary family, moves at roughly 490,000 miles per hour (about 792,000 km/h) as it orbits the galactic center.
Over the course of a single year, this motion carries us an astounding 3.92 billion miles (6.30 billion km) through space relative to our galaxy’s core—even though from our perspective on Earth nothing feels different from year to year.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in Earth’s rhythm around the Sun — after all, it brings the seasons we know so well — but taking a step back and seeing ourselves as part of this vast cosmic motion gives the new year a fresh sense of scale.
In a single orbit around the Sun, you have traveled thousands of millions of miles through the galaxy, and the planet beneath your feet has carried you forward toward the future even when life felt familiar or unchanged.
From All of Us at AppleMagazine
We hope this small glimpse of our shared cosmic journey gives you a new perspective as we turn the page to 2026.
May this coming year multiply all the good in your life: moments of joy with your loved ones, opportunities for growth and discovery, and a sense of wonder at being part of something so vast. Here’s to a year filled with peace, curiosity, and the quiet joy of connection — with family, friends, and the world around us.
Happy New Year!
