then why is the suns gravity not powerful enough to capture the moon. Instead the earths gravity holds it in place...why does the moon not just escape from us and establish its own orbit?
2007-06-06 04:52:07 · 6 answers · asked by Craig C 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Earth's gravitational pull on the moon is much greater than the sun's gravitation pull on the moon. Look at the equation for gravitational pull between two objects, F = GMm/r^2 (gravitational force = grav. constant * mass1*mass2 / dist. bet. two objects squared). Gravitational force is inversely proportional to the distance between the two objects squared...in other words, The distance between two objects has a much more profound influence on gravitational force than the mass. The sun is so far away, that even its huge mass cannot overcome the gravitational force that exists between the Earth and the moon (because they are much closer to e/o). In more words, Gravitational force changes linearly with respect to the mass of the objects, but changes exponentially with respect to the distance between them.
2007-06-06 08:11:44 · answer #1 · answered by Mike B 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
What you have to compare is the attraction from earth to the moon and the difference of attraction from the sun on the earth and on the moon. Then, you will see that this difference is not strong enough to capture the moon from the earth.
2007-06-06 05:05:12 · answer #2 · answered by Scanie 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The Earth and moon act as a single merchandise orbiting the the solar. we are so a techniques faraway from the solar that the version in appealing stress the solar's gravity on the moon because it is going around the Earth, isn't sufficient to pull it faraway from the Earth. further, our entire image voltaic equipment it interior the gravity properly of our galaxy, and that galaxy is interior the properly of the close by cluster of galaxies etc etc.
2016-10-29 08:09:09 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The sun has captured our moon as well as our planet. Because our planet has the greater field of gravity relative to the position of our moon, our planet influences it to a greater degree than that of our sun.
2007-06-06 04:57:26 · answer #4 · answered by d_of_haven 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
because the moon is a lot closer to the earth than it is to the sun.
2007-06-06 07:34:47 · answer #5 · answered by neutron 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are closer and exhibit a larger influence on the moon.
2007-06-06 05:01:12 · answer #6 · answered by Gene 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋