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2024-11-11

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The Physics of Trying to Crash Into the Sun (www.wired.com)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

15 comments fedilink hide all child comments

links to some interesting video. I think I had 1 chapter on orbital dynamics in school. good explanation of why it's not really as simple as dropping it in. probably old news to most.

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[–] [email protected] 14 points 3 months ago

There's no outer edge of a gravity well. It just tapers off, infinitely.

Imagine a big frozen lake, with a post stuck up from the centre, and a rope tied to it. You've got big wet-iceblock boots on, but you have have hold of the rope.

If you're just standing still, then reaching the post is stupid-easy, you just haul on it, and you slide right on in.

But now imagine you're not just standing there, you're whizzing hell for leather round the edge of the lake at 50 MPH.

You haul on that rope with all your might, it doesn't get you into the middle; all it does is stop you flying out into the weeds.

You simply can't get there from here, your turning circle is too damn big.

That's orbit. That's how it works. If you're going past a thing fast enough, you can't turn hard enough to hit it.