Astronomers claim the solar system is north of the galactic plane and is traveling northward – away from the plane of the Milky Way galaxy – at some 7 kilometers per second. Yes, the sun and solar system bob up and down through the galactic plane like a merry-go-round horse, crossing the plane of the galactic disk in periods of about 35 million years. It takes some 250 million years for the sun to go around the galactic center full circle.

I can’t claim to know how astronomers figured all this stuff out. However, you may be able to access scientific abstracts by doing a search, using the the key words “sun’s distance,galactic plane,abstract.”

Good luck!
Bruce

How can you tell if we are at the north or south of the galactic plane and what direction we are heading? i saw on a website showing that the solar system including earth travels like a sine wave along the plane and currently heading towards the plane.

check ” Nasa Confirmation 2012 Pole shif t”

The direction of the galactic center resides a bit south of where the galactic equator and the ecliptic intersect in the constellation Sagittarius. See the sky chart at http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/will-earth-pass-through-galactic-plane-in-2012

Bruce

At present, the inclination of the Earth’s equator to the galactic equator is about 63 degrees, and the tilt of the Earth’s rotational axis to the galactic equator is about 27 degrees. So if you live at or near 27 degrees north latitude, the galactic equator aligns with the horizon on May evenings. Conversely, if you live at or near 27 degrees south latitude, the galactic equator aligns with the horizon on November evenings, or some six months later. Read our upcoming May 7 program: Milky Way encircles the horizon on May evenings at http://earthsky.org/tonight/milky-way-encircles-the-horizon-on-may-evenings.

Bruce

Given that the TAR during its total 26K year precessional cycle changes its angle about 45 degrees

Most sources with which I am familiar claim the solar system last passed through the galactic plane around 3 million years ago. Although – as you say – the sun’s revolutionary period around the center of the Milky Way galaxy is somewhere around 250 million years, the sun does bob up and down through the galactic disk like a merry-go-round horse, crossing the plane every 35 million years or so. I give you a link that gives a brief summary of the solar system and the galactic plane at http://www.2012hoax.org/galactic-plane.

Bruce