If gravity suddenly became a reality in outer space, which direction would all the stars, planets, etc. fall? Which way is up or down out there?
RincyEnlightened
If gravity suddenly became a reality in outer space, which direction would all the stars, planets, etc. fall? Which way is up or down out there?
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If gravity suddenly became a reality in outer space, all stars, planets, and other objects would fall in the direction of the nearest large mass. There is no “up” or “down” in outer space, so the direction of fall would be arbitrary.
The Earth, for example, would fall towards the Sun. The Moon would fall towards the Earth. The Sun would fall towards the center of the Milky Way galaxy. And so on.
The speed of fall would depend on the mass of the object and the distance to the nearest large mass. The Earth, for example, would fall towards the Sun at a speed of about 30 kilometers per second.
The impact of such an event would be catastrophic. All planets would be pulled out of their orbits and would either crash into the Sun or be ejected from the solar system. Stars would collide with each other, forming new stars and black holes. The entire universe would be thrown into chaos.
Of course, this is all just speculation. Gravity is a fundamental force of nature, and it is not possible for it to suddenly “become a reality.” However, it is an interesting thought experiment to consider what would happen if gravity did not exist, or if it suddenly appeared.