- #1
markintheworld
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This is a bit of a lark, but I'm just wondering if I've understood correctly to draw my conclusion...
It is my understanding that the curvature of spacetime postulated by GR is what causes orbits which appear elliptical. An orbiting body is following its inertial path which might otherwise be a straight line, but due to the curvature of spacetime caused by a nearby massive object, that straight line appears curved, as if the orbiting body were traveling around the edge of a depression. So the moon is traveling in a straight line (its inertial tendency), but because it is near the earth, a massive gravitational object, it APPEARS to be traveling a curved path. Am i correct so far?
Assuming the above is true, that a straight path can appear curved due to the distorting effects of gravity, couldn't it also figure that a flat plane could appear similarly curved? Couldn't it be true that the surface of the Earth is a flat plane, but the curvature of space-time caused by its own gravity is the reason that it appears spherical? Is this why large gravitational objects generally appear to be spherical? Or is there some flaw in my logic?
Insight would be appreciated...
It is my understanding that the curvature of spacetime postulated by GR is what causes orbits which appear elliptical. An orbiting body is following its inertial path which might otherwise be a straight line, but due to the curvature of spacetime caused by a nearby massive object, that straight line appears curved, as if the orbiting body were traveling around the edge of a depression. So the moon is traveling in a straight line (its inertial tendency), but because it is near the earth, a massive gravitational object, it APPEARS to be traveling a curved path. Am i correct so far?
Assuming the above is true, that a straight path can appear curved due to the distorting effects of gravity, couldn't it also figure that a flat plane could appear similarly curved? Couldn't it be true that the surface of the Earth is a flat plane, but the curvature of space-time caused by its own gravity is the reason that it appears spherical? Is this why large gravitational objects generally appear to be spherical? Or is there some flaw in my logic?
Insight would be appreciated...