|
|
Post by abacus9900 on Oct 13, 2011 11:04:56 GMT 1
If the sun suddenly stopped existing in the next few minutes how long would it take for us, here on earth, to feel the gravitational effects?
|
|
|
|
Post by principled on Oct 13, 2011 13:15:37 GMT 1
Abacus good to see you back. We were getting a little thin on the ground over the last couple of months.
I believe that gravitational waves propogate at the speed of light, but the question you ask is interesting. If we consider a mass which rotates around a fixed centre and is held in its circular path by a string connected to the centre (I'm using string as analogous to gravity) then as soon as the string breaks the mass would no longer be constrained and would go off at a tangent. This action would be instantaneous.
The question is, does this analogy hold water? Obviously, if we liken gravity to electrical or other waves then it doesn't, but then again is the anology of gravity being like them also false?
Like you, I await an answer from someone who may know!
P
|
|
|
|
Post by Progenitor A on Oct 14, 2011 7:52:22 GMT 1
Well the sun disappeared here 7 days ago but whether or not we are flying off at a tangent I cannot see because of the bloody clouds
Interesting question.
There is really no reason why gravity should not travel faster than light - there are a few examples extant of information and particles travelling faster than light - the latest experimental results might even show that partyicles can travel faster than light in a vacuum. I mean , we don't have to believe everything Einstein says, do we? I know that he is a Jew like Jesus but he isn't Jesus is he?
Gravity waves do not exist.
I can state that quite definitively I think
Coz if they do exist where the fook are they?
|
|
|
|
Post by abacus9900 on Oct 14, 2011 9:48:07 GMT 1
Hi Nay. It is true that, thus far, gravity waves have not been detected so maybe they don't really exist!
|
|
|
|
Post by mak2 on Oct 14, 2011 21:17:58 GMT 1
If the sun ceased to exist, it would take roughly 8 minutes for the earth to be affected.
Unless current theories are wrong.
( 93,000,000 miles divided by 186,000 miles per second is 500 seconds. )
|
|
|
|
Post by abacus9900 on Oct 15, 2011 10:17:33 GMT 1
mak2, how do we know this for a fact? Would it involve gravity waves?
|
|
|
|
Post by skeptic on Dec 31, 2011 15:25:18 GMT 1
Gravity travels at the speed of light, and the sun is just over eight light minutes away.
Presumably we would suddenly find ourselves on a straight line out of the solar system without the sun's gravity to hold the Earth in place.
But that would not matter to us since without the sun, there would be no (natural) light and no heat so we would quickly freeze to death regardless of whether we were in the same position as before or heading out of the solar system.
|
|
|
|
Post by principled on Dec 31, 2011 19:28:18 GMT 1
But, would we go off at a tangent immediately (like releasing a string that holds a ball in a circular path), or would the result be delayed by 8 minutes? That is the question.
P
|
|
|
|
Post by skeptic on Jan 1, 2012 11:47:29 GMT 1
As gravity moves at light speed, we would go off on a tangent just over 8 minutes later. Essentially as it suddenly goes dark, so the Earth would have no attraction from a missing sun so fly off out of the solar system.
|
|
