Tagged Questions
-1
votes
1answer
60 views
Earth and Moon computer simulation [closed]
So I want to simulate the solar system but want to start simple with one orbiting body.
However, I never did anything like this before and was wondering if anyone here could give me some hints.
...
1
vote
1answer
52 views
Defining the star as the ellipse focus rather than the barycenter, what does the other focus do? [duplicate]
There are a lot of images and animations on the internet depicting two bodies orbiting around their common barycenter. The barycenter is defined as the (let's say right) focus of the ellipse.
If we ...
4
votes
1answer
66 views
Orbital mechanics and rocketry: Is it ever a good idea to intentionally lower periapsis?
tl;dr: Hohmann Transfer appears to be the optimal way to achieve a circular-to-circular orbit, but is it possible to lower the periapsis in order to achieve a more elliptical orbit with apoapsis at ...
3
votes
2answers
85 views
Orbit in the vacuum
As the space is a vacuum and there is no friction in space,
Can we assume that, if we place an object in gravity in exactly the right distance from a planet with gravity and in the right acceleration, ...
1
vote
2answers
38 views
Solar Catastrophe [duplicate]
Consider all of sudden the sun vanishes. What would happen to planetary motion. Will it continue to move in elliptical path or move in a tangential to the orbit immediately after sun vanishes or move ...
0
votes
2answers
139 views
General Relativity & Kepler's law
According to Kepler's law of planetary motion, the earth revolves around the sun in an elliptical path with sun at one of its focus.
However,
according to general theory of relativity,
the earth ...
3
votes
3answers
182 views
Is there a mathematical relationship here or am I looking for relations when there are none?
When I was taking classical mechanics, we dealt a lot with pendulums, and orbiting bodies problems. This lead me to think about the two situations depicted above. Left: Shows two balls of equal mass ...
3
votes
2answers
217 views
Deviation from Earth's orbit
How much orbital deviation is required for the Earth to get knocked out from current orbit so it either moves away from Sun or towards the Sun?
0
votes
0answers
66 views
How to calculate the mass of the Cygnus X-1 black hole?
I have received a question about how to calculate the mass of Cygnus x-1 (black star).
Since we are able to find the the mass through this Wikipedia page I know that we can find the mass through ...
41
votes
5answers
2k views
Is there a small enough planet or asteroid you can orbit by jumping?
I just had this idea of orbiting a planet just by jumping and then flying upon it on its orbit kind of like superman. So,
Would it be theoretically possible or is there a chance of that small body to ...
3
votes
2answers
228 views
Consequences of destroying a space elevator
Suppose there is a fully functional space elevator built on Earth. The base is attached to coordinates
$
(\lambda, \varphi) = (0,0)
$
e.g., on the equator on the zero-meridian.
What would happen ...
1
vote
3answers
159 views
The theory of moon creation when a Mars size planet hit Earth
As we know the predominant theory where does the moon come from is that a Mars size planet hit the earth and took a chunk out of it which eventually materialized into moon.
My question is that if a ...
1
vote
1answer
118 views
Determining Orbital Velocity
Is there any way to determine the orbital velocity of a point around another stationary point, if I don't know the mass of either of the points but know the force that gravity exerts and the distance ...
2
votes
3answers
187 views
Can a photon be made to orbit a known (or undiscovered theoretical) body?
Can a photon through some process be made to orbit a celestial or any other object?
Two follow-up questions.
Can this orbit be described as the photon crossing its own path.
Will this ...
6
votes
2answers
138 views
What exactly is the microgravity field in orbit?
The ISS and other objects in orbit still experience small acceleration outside from the perfect line of orbit (of the system CM). For instance, two objects in the ISS that are let to be at rest will ...
3
votes
1answer
364 views
About binary stars and calculating velocity, period and radius of their orbit
I saw somewhere about being able to measure the velocity, period and radius of a binary star orbit by looking at red shift and blue shift.
I understand it but can someone give me an example of ...
4
votes
4answers
625 views
Increasing mass' effect on the balance between centripetal force and centrifugal force
Okay, this is nothing more than a thought experiment which popped into my head while driving home from work today.
Take the case of a single body orbiting another, larger body, as in a planet and a ...
2
votes
1answer
519 views
Do all planets rotate around the sun with the same acceleration?
I have this question in mind. suppose if by any chance, all planet around sun stopped rotating. then as per formula F= M * A. all planet should fall with same acceleration towards sun and ultimately ...
2
votes
3answers
657 views
Initial vs Constant Orbital Velocity
I am working on some basic physics simulation for a game and need to simulate gravity. I have a system working that is behaving more or less correctly so far, but I want to see if I can send a ...
3
votes
2answers
44 views
Computing period, semi-major axis of binary
I have mass, $g$, and luminosity of each of the stars in a binary system, extracted from a model. I calculated the individual radii from $g$ and the mass. I am trying to compute $a$, but I seem to be ...
3
votes
4answers
551 views
Two masses in deep space - collide or orbit?
If two identical masses are somehow "released" into deep space (that is, they're subject to no other gravitation forces but their own, and are initially at rest to each other). What decides whether ...
28
votes
1answer
432 views
Why are our planets in the solar system all on the same disc/plane/layer?
I always see pictures of the solar system where our sun is in the middle and the planets surround the sun. All these planets move on orbits on the same layer. Why?
4
votes
3answers
324 views
Why don't astronauts in orbit get stuck to the “ceiling”?
When a shuttle is in orbit, it is essentially rotating around the "centre" of the Earth at a great speed. So why does there seem to be no centrifugal force sticking them to the 'ceiling' of the ...
7
votes
3answers
81 views
How would two equally massed stars orbit?
In an empty universe, except for two equally massed stars, how would they orbit? Or, for another example, if the earth suddenly grew to be the mass of the sun, how would they orbit, or interact? Would ...
2
votes
0answers
137 views
Calculation of a Gravity Resonance Keyhole
Can anyone describe the mathematics behind the calculation of a resonance keyhole (for a two-body model)? It seems like the size and position of the keyhole should be a function only of mass and ...
3
votes
3answers
346 views
Why all rocks are not orbiting bigger rocks in space?
Why only big rocks (planets) have satellites and not small ones? Why cosmic dust doesn't orbit rocks that are many times heavier than the dust grains? If dust is still too heavy then what about ...
8
votes
3answers
488 views
Questions about the Solar System
Most images you see of the solar system are 2D and all planets orbit in the same plane. In a 3D view, are really all planets orbiting in similar planes? Is there a reason for this? I'd expect that ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
Measuring acceleration of earth due to its fall around the sun
Every orbiting of a satellite around a mass is nothing else but a constant fall - and therefore acceleration - towards this mass. In a way it is a "falling around" that mass.
My question Is it ...
4
votes
3answers
647 views
How is it possible for orbits to maintain stability?
According to $a = v^2/R$, the circular velocity and radial distance between two attracting objects (such as planets), must remain in perfect proportion in order for orbital motion to take place. How ...
3
votes
3answers
394 views
Orbital mechanics of Dragon's Egg
In the novel Dragon's Egg, the human crew use one asteroid to swing other asteroids in place to counter the gravity of the neutron star. I understood that it was similar to a gravity sling shot, but I ...
