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Can planets, and or moons orbit each other to short distances, 100 miles?
For a sustained time, maybe millions of years? Im wondering if people take cabs to other moons?
President - Fort Collins Browns Backers
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Legend
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Legend
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The last time I took a cab to the moon, the cabby kicked me out half way because I didn't have enough cab fare. I had to hitch a ride back on an asteroid. 
No Craps Given
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Legend
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Legend
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Not being an astrophysicist, I would still say not.
Wouldn't their sheer size and gravity fields keep them from ever getting that close ?
I majored in business, and run one of my own,...I'll shut up.
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Dawg Talker
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To be classified as planets or moons. No. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_satellite#Low-Earth-orbiting_satellitesLow earth orbiting satellites orbit at ~250 Miles according to this. There is probably a mathematical model for orbit that you could plug into, but I think that to have sufficient mass to retain orbit you will never find anything that can be technically defined as a planet or moon orbiting at those distances. Meteor / Satellites yes. Moons / Planets No.
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Legend
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Legend
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Legend
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Legend
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Quote:
There is probably a mathematical model for orbit that you could plug into, but I think that to have sufficient mass to retain orbit you will never find anything that can be technically defined as a planet or moon orbiting at those distances.
Yeah, it's the formula for centrifigal force. You just need the centrifigal force to equal the force of gravity. Unfortunatly, for extremely large masses (like a planet/moon), the force of gravity at a distance of 100 feet is going to be rediculous. The speed needed to keep an orbit at that distance would have to be crazy-fast.
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Legend
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Legend
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Just guessing here, or else you have a collision, no ??
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All Pro
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Legend
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Legend
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It is truly amazing that -- beside asteroids -- there hasn't been one, the way they say our galaxy whizzes through space with everything that's "out there."
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2nd String
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2nd String
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Quote:
Just guessing here, or else you have a collision, no ??
If the moon orbited at 100 miles, the speed to keep it in orbit and not colliding would probably tear the earth up due to tidal forces.
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Legend
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Legend
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Being a simple, uneducated satr gazer, that was my vision on this too.
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I was on wiki reading about the Roche limit, and apparently our own moon could orbit the earth to about 6,000 miles, while still being held together by it's own gravity. Any closer than that an it would get torn apart.
The moon is currently about 240,000 miles away.
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