by DavidRP » Sun Jan 01, 2012 3:40 pm
Floating free in space? "Drifting" in orbit? Defying gravity? "Going too fast to fall"? I think not on all counts!
This astronaut is whizzing past the clouds below at the tremendous speed of 28,000 kph. Hardly what I would call "floating".
He IS subjected to gravity - about 92% (at his elevation) of what we experience on earth's surface. If he were not, he'd fly off into outer space immediately.
And he is falling at a tremendous rate too. It's just that he's going so fast that, as he falls, the earth curves away below him. If, for instance, the earth was of larger diameter, he'd "sink" down into the atmosphere very quickly. And contacting the atmosphere at 28,000 kph would be a very hot issue!
And if he were to somehow suddenly reduce his speed from 28,000 kph to zero, he'd plummet toward the ground at tremendous speed, like a skydiver. (Visualize Kirk and the team in the latest Star Trek movie skydiving toward earth to disable the Romulan drill.)
Yes, a very wonderful, spell-binding photo. But lets explain the physics of what's happening.
There are three kinds of people in this world; those who can count, and those who can't.
Floating free in space? "Drifting" in orbit? Defying gravity? "Going too fast to fall"? I think not on all counts!
This astronaut is whizzing past the clouds below at the tremendous speed of 28,000 kph. Hardly what I would call "floating".
He IS subjected to gravity - about 92% (at his elevation) of what we experience on earth's surface. If he were not, he'd fly off into outer space immediately.
And he is falling at a tremendous rate too. It's just that he's going so fast that, as he falls, the earth curves away below him. If, for instance, the earth was of larger diameter, he'd "sink" down into the atmosphere very quickly. And contacting the atmosphere at 28,000 kph would be a very hot issue! :oops:
And if he were to somehow suddenly reduce his speed from 28,000 kph to zero, he'd plummet toward the ground at tremendous speed, like a skydiver. (Visualize Kirk and the team in the latest Star Trek movie skydiving toward earth to disable the Romulan drill.)
Yes, a very wonderful, spell-binding photo. But lets explain the physics of what's happening.
[i]There are three kinds of people in this world; those who can count, and those who can't.[/i]