Can an object have too little mass to have a stable orbit?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the question of whether an object can have too little mass to achieve a stable orbit around a larger body, such as the sun. It touches on concepts of gravitational attraction and the conditions necessary for stable orbits, with references to specific examples like a feather or objects in the asteroid belt.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions if a very light object can achieve an orbit around a larger planet, citing a physics professor's statement about the asteroid belt.
  • Another participant asserts that the acceleration due to gravity is independent of mass, suggesting that there are no objects too light to achieve a stable orbit.
  • There is a suggestion that the professor may have been referring to other effects that could influence orbital stability.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the conditions for stable orbits, with one asserting that mass does not prevent stable orbits while another raises a question based on a professor's statement, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about gravitational effects and the specific conditions under which orbits are considered stable, which are not fully explored or defined.

josh0196
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I was wondering, since gravitational atttraction is determinated by m1 * m2 / d2 * G , can an object have a mass too little to have a stable orbit, for instance, around the sun?

P.S: I'm new to this forum! Hello!
 
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josh0196 said:
...since gravitational atttraction is ...
How does this suggest unstable orbits for small masses?
 
A.T. said:
How does this suggest unstable orbits for small masses?

Wow, that's a fast reply :)

Yeah, I didn't express myself very well... I meant, can an very "light" object achieve an orbit around another bigger planet? For example a feather around the sun?
This question comes from something that my physics professor said: "the asteroid belt is formed of objects so little that alone could not achieve orbit around the sun"

I'm not from a English speaking country so excuse me if I mess up some terms and stuff.
 
The acceleration of an object from gravity is independent of mass, so no, there are no objects so light that they couldn't achieve a stable orbit. However it is possible that your professor was speaking of some other effect. I'd ask them about it.
 
Drakkith said:
The acceleration of an object from gravity is independent of mass, so no, there are no objects so light that they couldn't achieve a stable orbit. However it is possible that your professor was speaking of some other effect. I'd ask them about it.
Thank you :)
I'll ask him then.
 

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