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It takes more energy to hit the sun than it does to escape the solar system entirely. Earth's orbital velocity is closer to solar escape velocity than it is to
by SAI_Peregrinus 5y ago
It takes more energy to hit the sun than it does to escape the solar system entirely. Earth's orbital velocity is closer to solar escape velocity than it is to 0 (or any velocity for an orbit with a periapsis that intersects Sol and an apoapsis at Earth's orbit).
- disconcision 5y agoyes, for example it would take about 55 times more energy to get something to the sun than it would to get it to mars
- wolverine876 5y agoThanks, but why? For both Mars and the Sun, we need to escape Earth's gravity, so the energy seems roughly the same there. If we direct an object at the Sun or Mars, with the same momentum, it will eventually get to either. What is the difference? If you mean it takes 55 times more energy to get to the Sun or Mars in the same fixed time interval, that I could see. (For our theoretical space trash, the start of this subthread, it doesn't matter how long it takes.)
- CorrectHorseBat 5y agoYou're forgetting that we're all orbiting around the sun. Just escaping earths gravity puts you an orbit around the sun at the same distance as earth. With a bit more speed you get into an orbit a bit closer or further depending on the direction you took. More explanation with more exact numbers: https://space.stackexchange.com/a/45619 https://space.stackexchange.com/a/45619
- wolverine876 5y agoSo the issue is that an object would have to be slowed considerably (relative to the Sun) in order to hit it?
- SAI_Peregrinus 5y agoExactly.