3 ms·
> If the Earth was feeling a gravitational force corresponding to the relative position where the sun appeared to be 8.5 minutes ago But that is exactly it. Ea
by krisoft 4y ago
> If the Earth was feeling a gravitational force corresponding to the relative position where the sun appeared to be 8.5 minutes ago
But that is exactly it. Earth is experiencing gravitational force from where the sun appears to be. Which is already “corrected” for speed of light effect, since both the light (where the sun appears to be) and the gravity (where it appears to pull from) is delayed by the same amount.
If we would be living in a simulation which neglects to take delay in gravity into account we would be experiencing a pull from the direction where the sun will appear in 8.5 minutes.
Now, I can totally believe you that this effect is not significant, or can be neglected for other reasons. But that sentence where you say that orbits would be extremely unstable if gravity would not be delayed indicates otherwise.
- sebzim4500 4y ago>If we would be living in a simulation which neglects to take delay in gravity into account we would be experiencing a pull from the direction where the sun will appear in 8.5 minutes. This is actually pretty much what happens. The point that the earth accelerates towards is, to first (second?) order, the predicted point that the sun would be assuming it continued accelerating at its current rate. It is not accelerating towards where the sun was 8 minutes ago, nor where the sun appears now or 8 minutes ago.
- pyinstallwoes 4y agoIf the sun disappeared, would it take 8 minutes to know?
- petschge 4y agoYes.
- pyinstallwoes 4y agoWhat would happen during this 8 minutes from beginning to end? Genuinely curious at a high level