What is the place called when you suddenly find the object below you which was above you in space travel?

Question

We see the moon as above us and there is a point where if you are apporaching it,it is suddenly below you,what is that spot called and how does it come about,this a question for the likes of Neil Armstrong who must have had this experience.

Answer 1

Since "down" is basically the directions that gravity is pulling, I suppose you could argue that the location where "down" changes would be the place where the moon's gravity is stronger than the earth's. It would be easy enough to figure out where this point is based on the masses of the two objects.

On the other hand, you wouldn't "feel" anything at this point. The rocket and you are both coasting at this point in the voyage, so you would feel weightless. The first sense of "down" being toward the moon would be when the rockets started firing to slow the space craft down to get into orbit around the moon.

Answer 2

Lunar Orbit.
When you leave the Earth; the moon is above. When you get close enough to the moon you enter its orbit and it is below.
A similar phenomenon is Perigee and Apogee. Perigee is when you are at the closest point in an elliptical orbit and Apogee is at the furthest.

Answer 3

No astronaut has ever actually gone 'past' the moon.

They approached and then went into orbit around it; so I suppose they called it 'in orbit'.

Answer 4

I think that you describe items relative to your own position of perspective, so things above you are up, below you down, even if you are upside down, things above you are up (even though they are down).

Answer 5

Thx to you, I know what "nothingness" means now.

Answer 6

pass

Answer 7

drunk as a skunk

Answer 8

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