4 ms·
Small nit: this is for objects approaching from infinity in a two body system. Otherwise the object can be in orbit and already be “captured” there. For example
by manwe150 1y ago
Small nit: this is for objects approaching from infinity in a two body system. Otherwise the object can be in orbit and already be “captured” there. For example, the moon also approaches earth slightly over the month while speeding up, then slows down while moving away. Or it could just be a 3 body system, which is chaotic and can’t be modeled accurately and can have objects spontaneously eject from the stable system (even though the physics is indeed reversible)
- Dylan16807 1y agoYour first nitpick only makes sense with a weird definition of "approaches" for the context, so I think it just adds confusion. They're pretty clearly talking about something that is headed in the direction of the sun and not already in orbit. And the comment you're responding to already mentioned that other bodies can make a capture happen. Nobody was saying capture is impossible.
- manwe150 1y agoI thought the context is orbital mechanics, for which the term approach is the common term for a portion of the trajectory where the bodies move towards each other. Take any Wikipedia article for an orbiting solar body and search approach eg: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halley%27s_Comet https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halley%27s_Comet