Mutual solar-extrasolar orbital foci

  • Thread starter Thread starter Loren Booda
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Orbital
AI Thread Summary
A satellite could theoretically share orbital foci with both our Sun and an extrasolar body like Proxima Centauri, but this scenario is highly improbable. The vast distance to Alpha Centauri means its gravitational influence on a satellite near our Sun is minimal compared to the Milky Way's overall gravitational effects. The discussion emphasizes the complexities of gravitational interactions in such a scenario. While the idea is intriguing, practical implications render it unlikely. Overall, the concept remains a fascinating theoretical exploration.
Loren Booda
Messages
3,108
Reaction score
4
Can there exist a satellite which shares orbital foci with our Sun, and with the extrasolar likes of (e. g.) the Oort cloud - but in particular another star, say Proxima Centuri?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
Although theoretically possible, it is highly unlikely. Alpha Centauri is so far away that the mutual gravitational attraction with our sun is negligible compared to overall Milky Way effect.
 
Thanks, mathman, that makes sense.
 

Thread 'How feasible is home radio astronomy?'

Is a homemade radio telescope realistic? There seems to be a confluence of multiple technologies that makes the situation better than when I was a wee lad: software-defined radio (SDR), the easy availability of satellite dishes, surveillance drives, and fast CPUs. Let's take a step back - it is trivial to see the sun in radio. An old analog TV, a set of "rabbit ears" antenna, and you're good to go. Point the antenna at the sun (i.e. the ears are perpendicular to it) and there is...
View full post »

Thread 'Our Beautiful Universe - Photos and Videos'

This thread is dedicated to the beauty and awesomeness of our Universe. If you feel like it, please share video clips and photos (or nice animations) of space and objects in space in this thread. Your posts, clips and photos may by all means include scientific information; that does not make it less beautiful to me (n.b. the posts must of course comply with the PF guidelines, i.e. regarding science, only mainstream science is allowed, fringe/pseudoscience is not allowed). n.b. I start this...
View full post »

Similar threads

I What causes Kuiper/Ort cloud objects to become comets?
Replies
5
Views
2K
I Planetary Formation: Could Collisions Explain Our Solar System?
2
Replies
52
Views
6K
I Were all these exoplanets a surprise?
Replies
6
Views
2K
I A New Idea for the Origin of Earth's Water
Replies
1
Views
2K
B How Can Astronomy Even Occur? (Oort Cloud)
Replies
35
Views
5K
I Very bright geo satellite in my night sky?
Replies
36
Views
7K
I New Developments In The Search For Planet X
Replies
2
Views
3K
B Where Are the To-Scale Diagrams of Alpha Centauri's Orbits?
Replies
47
Views
6K
B Sholz's star entered the Oort cloud ~70kya
Replies
1
Views
2K
I Comet Bernardinelli-Bernstein enters inner solar system
Replies
1
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top