Bobby's right. Things are dragging. So I'm asking this even though I know the answer. Before you laugh too hard, read on. There is a portion of the moon's orbit where the gravitational attraction of the sun is actually stronger than the earth's. So why does it keep coming back around?
Answer in a couple of days.
2007-12-28 09:53:17 · 14 answers · asked by Brant 7 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
No, Mercury, but by 11:00, I should be. Actually, this is a cool question. You'll like it.
2007-12-28 10:02:06 · update #1
Remember 9-1-1 got it. Darn, that was a little quick. There is a tendency to think of the earth sitting still, when considering this question. But since the earth and moon are moving around the sun, that velocity is enough to keep it in orbit around the earth.
Here's another way to look at it. Even if the earth was completely removed from the picture, the moon would still orbit the sun at approximately its current distance.
2007-12-28 10:07:34 · update #2
OH NO! I goofed. 911 is talking about just the moon's velocity around the earth. It's the moon's velocity around the SUN which keeps it in orbit around the earth. (Average of 29.78 KM per second)
2007-12-28 11:22:27 · update #3
Chandramoh got it right, but "map" has a better answer.
2007-12-28 11:24:28 · update #4
Moon is primarily traveling around sun, together with earth. Movement around earth is just a second order movement. Gravitational pull on moon by sun is roughly double of the pull by earth.
2007-12-28 10:08:02 · answer #1 · answered by map 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
According to my calculations, the Sun's pull on the Moon is consistently about twice as strong as the Earth's pull on the Moon. Also, the variation in Sun-on-Moon force in one orbit of the Moon around the Earth is 1.02%, assuming the Earth is 1 AU from the Sun, and the Moon orbits the Earth at a radius of 0.00257 AU.
The nonlinear effects are thus rather small, and the two orbits (Earth+Moon around the Sun, and Moon around the Earth) are nearly decoupled.
2007-12-28 10:07:54 · answer #2 · answered by lithiumdeuteride 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Because the sun is very far from the earth and the gravitational forcefield is weak, the force field from earth is stronger because the moon is close to it. Assuming the sun, moon, and earth where all apart from each other at equal distance, the sun would obviously win the drag because it has more force.
2007-12-28 10:00:23 · answer #3 · answered by Eminem 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
brant................. are you drunk too?
cause I know I AM!!!!!
damn the holidays
*at first I didn't take you seriously, but I see that you actually have a good point.
I'm not sure how to answer. 1 Thing I DO know.
I've heard the moon is moving away from the earth at 2 cm a year.
if that keeps up, the moon should escape our gravity pull completely and find itself alone and in orbit around the sun.
depending on its trajectory, it would have a chance of moving toward the orbit of one planet or another.
2007-12-28 09:57:29 · answer #4 · answered by Mercury 2010 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Haha, confident i'm a fire sign, and confident i will inform you the great image yet I won't bypass into specifics. good call there although. my very own little international includes thinking concerning to the persons interior the international we are residing in. Why they do the failings that they do and how they sense. I think of the destiny and that i continuously think of of recent innovations. it fairly is the harmless fringe of my little international... Sagittarius solar Sagittarius starting to be Taurus moon
2016-11-25 23:24:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i'm not sure that there is a portion of the moon's orbit where the gravitional attraction of the sun is stronger than that of earth, but actually the moon is moving away from earth about 3cm each year..
2007-12-28 10:02:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Interesting... so are you saying the moon is not always inside of Earth's gravity well but there is a small valley it has to cross? Didn't know that. I will take a look at it. That would make for a non-trivial orbital stability question...
:-)
2007-12-28 10:05:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
The moon's space velocity -- 1,022 m/sec -- offsets the gravitational tug of both Earth and the sun thereby preventing it from being drawn into either body..
Happy New Year...!
2007-12-28 10:01:06 · answer #8 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Moon is going round the earth and at the same time around Sun because earth is going round the sun it is not drooping to sun
2007-12-28 10:02:28 · answer #9 · answered by Chandramohan P.R 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
because its at the right place. if the radius of curvature of moon's orbit tilts slightly towards the planet it will pulled to dash earth due to its gravity. and if its going to tilt outwards slightly the moon will be out of earth's escape velocity and will go apart (out) in space.
2007-12-28 10:08:31 · answer #10 · answered by stranger 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋