Earth Reaches Sun's Chromosphere: Timing Estimate

[blarznik]

Roughly how long would it take, ending the time when Earth touches the Sun's Chromosphere layer. (Ignoring interfering with other planets' gravities as it moves toward the Sun, if that situation exists.)

 

[Janus]

If you mean if the Earth was to suddenly stop in its orbit, then then between ~63-66 days, depending upon what point in it orbit it was when it started the fall.

 

[blarznik]

If you mean if the Earth was to suddenly stop in its orbit, then then between ~63-66 days, depending upon what point in it orbit it was when it started the fall.

Wow that's fast! So with 66 days of motion, using the AU as the distance, Earth's moving at about 1.4 million miles per day.

 

[Janus]

Wow that's fast! So with 66 days of motion, using the AU as the distance, Earth's moving at about 1.4 million miles per day.

That's the average over the entire fall. It would actually move much less during the first day and be moving a lot faster on the last day. At impact, it would be moving at 618 km/sec ( the equivalent of 33 million miles per day)

This shouldn't be too surprising, as the Earth, at its present orbital velocity, travels 1.6 million miles per day.

 

[blarznik]

That's the average over the entire fall. It would actually move much less during the first day and be moving a lot faster on the last day. At impact, it would be moving at 618 km/sec ( the equivalent of 33 million miles per day)

This shouldn't be too surprising, as the Earth, at its present orbital velocity, travels 1.6 million miles per day.

I guess the acceleration time would be drastic. Also, looking at Earth's orbit, I never realized the present velocity was that fast, but that makes a lot of sense for how far it travels in a year.

 

[Drakkith]

I guess the acceleration time would be drastic. Also, looking at Earth's orbit, I never realized the present velocity was that fast, but that makes a lot of sense for how far it travels in a year.

The solar system travels around the galaxy at a speed of 220 kilometers per second! That's 19 million km per day!