Kissing Orbits

I don't know about planet/moon combos - but there are some "extra-solar" planets (search on google) that have "years" of less than a week.....

Actually, for planet/moon systems there is a thing called "Roches Limit" that basically says a moon will shatter if it is too close.

Alex


~SDC~

If the moon ever got close to the Earth liek that...it sure wouldn't be just 'touching' it. It would in fact ram straight into the Earth and kill... us... all! *Does evil laugh

Ehhhh...well at least I can go see those Altarians in hell and torture them some more

The book The Ragged Astronauts by Bob Shaw features two planets sharing a common atmosphere, so it's possible to travel from one to the other by hot air ballon. (Couldn't happen real life though... at one point, one of the characters mentions that pi = 4, implying they're in a different universe with different physical laws.)


~SDC~

Very intersting all!

EBZ, apparently the moon is actualy slowly sliping away from Earth (or so the scientists say) in the order of a few inches (or was it feet?) per year . . . I'll get my telescope out and do some calculations 'myself' - give me a few years and I'll get back to you on this one . . . hehe.

Roches Limit (from what I've read) would cause the moon to tear appart because it has to bear its own mass on the communicating side. I think I understand . . . what a pity.

Oh well Stellar Research and Planetary Creation was never ment to be easy

Completely re-edited so I no longer looked like a dickhead.


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I'd rather have an Orangatangs IQ than be a dickhead . . .

Cotal: that was true about Donald Duck though.

speaking of orangatangs, well, apes, what happened to Bobo?

Bobo definitely wasn't an orangutan. He is around every now and then.
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what handle does Bobo use? i cant remember anymore.

Generally not: the tidal forces would tear the smaller body apart. This is why the gas giants of our solar system have rings instead of extra moons--the gravity of the planet is strong enough that it keeps the rings from aggregating.

wampyre.

Wow . . . much information! Heya the sites back up again. You know how I know? Because I can post this . . . and this . . . and that! And these . . . :VOMIT:

Sry about the DH comment Killa I'm all better now . . . see! my claws and fangs have disappeared I thought you were calling me a dumbie, and well . . . the truth hurts . . . (:(

I better drop out of the space program befor they notice . . .

Cotal, I was trying to be too funny. Didn't work. Sorry. Never been called a DH before. Quite shocked me. Will try to be nicer. Its hard though.

group hug everybody

and no touching bits you're not supposed to touch... unless it's me that's doing it

Group Hug . . . um well ok just this once . . .

Heya Jawa! You promised! Oh thats right you did . . . didn't you . . . hehe. Butt seriously . . .

pirates hugging each other



:VOMIT:

And here I didn't get to see that post... Dang.
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Don't know about kissing orbits - seems to be kissing and making up....



Alex


~SDC~

For celestial bodies on the order of minor or major planetoids, gravity would tear one or both of them apart before long if they were that close.

For stellar bodies on the order of, say, a pair of neutron stars, it's theoretically possible for them to be close enough that their co-orbit has a period measured in days or hours, but most likely one would tear the other apart (and possibly subsequently collapse into a singularity...neutron stars are already very dense, heavy objects).

If you take it to the extreme, and consider a pair of black holes, all bets are off: the nature of physics are unknown in that sort of environment. This is where the theories of cosmic strings, nSpace, wormholes, and other bizzare things foreign to known reality start appearing.

~SDC~