Where is Earth's center of mass?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on the challenge of accurately determining Earth's center of mass, particularly considering its non-uniform mass distribution. A simple ellipsoid approximation is deemed insufficient, and the need for a more precise definition is emphasized. Participants suggest that using the term "geocenter" may yield better search results, although it is complicated by misinformation from various sources. The conversation also touches on the importance of a suitable coordinate system to define the center's location relative to Earth's surface. Overall, the quest for a clear understanding of Earth's center of mass remains a complex topic.
moonman239
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As a first-order approximation I can simply calculate the location and radii of an ellipsoid that contains the center of mass, but that's not good enough. Doing a Google search for "center of mass earth" doesn't pull up anything.
 
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moonman239 said:
As a first-order approximation I can simply calculate the location and radii of an ellipsoid that contains the center of mass, but that's not good enough. Doing a Google search for "center of mass earth" doesn't pull up anything.
It's unclear what you are looking for. Are you looking for the actual location of the Earth's center of mass, taking into consideration non-uniform distributions of mass density? (As a first approximation, why not say right in the middle! :smile:)
 
Why are you looking for this information, the center is a very good approximation...
 
Doc Al said:
It's unclear what you are looking for. Are you looking for the actual location of the Earth's center of mass, taking into consideration non-uniform distributions of mass density? (As a first approximation, why not say right in the middle! :smile:)

Yes.
 
What coordinate system would you use to define the location of the centre of mass?

I mean, would you say it's X miles from the North pole at sea level, Y miles from 0 lat 0 long?

The coordinate system is the surface of the Earth, which is not a sphere?
 
moonman239 said:
Doing a Google search for "center of mass earth" doesn't pull up anything.
That's the wrong search term. The right search term would be "geocenter" were it not for a slew of companies and organizations that erroneously think they are the center. You'll get a lot of irrelevant garbage if you just search for "geocenter".

Try searching for "geocenter motion" or "geocenter variations".
 
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