Why won't objects fall out of orbit

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the mechanics of orbital motion, specifically addressing why objects do not fall out of orbit and the factors that influence their positions over time. Participants explore concepts related to gravitational forces, energy conservation, and the effects of atmospheric drag.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that while an object in orbit falls, the curvature of the Earth prevents it from crashing down, raising the question of whether it would gradually move closer or farther from Earth.
  • Another participant notes that such movements can occur in elliptical orbits.
  • It is mentioned that energy conservation plays a role in maintaining orbits, and that without energy loss mechanisms like friction, objects would not fall to Earth.
  • A participant points out that while orbits can last a long time due to the thin atmosphere in space, there are specific cases where objects do experience changes in their orbits, such as the Moon moving away from Earth and the ISS experiencing orbital decay due to atmospheric drag.
  • One participant emphasizes that being in orbit is essentially a form of falling, referencing Newton's explanation of orbits.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying views on the dynamics of orbits, with some agreeing on the role of energy conservation and atmospheric effects, while others raise questions about the gradual changes in orbital distance. The discussion contains multiple competing perspectives and remains unresolved on certain points.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific phenomena such as tidal effects and atmospheric drag but do not resolve the implications of these factors on orbital stability. There is also a lack of consensus on the extent and nature of gradual changes in orbital distances.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to individuals exploring concepts in physics related to orbital mechanics, gravitational forces, and energy conservation in space environments.

AMan24
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I kind of understand how orbit works. So an object falls 10 feet then the Earth's curve counteracts the 10 feet, so it's prevents the object from just crashing down to earth. But wouldn't the object slowly either come closer to Earth or go away from earth. As in like millimeter by milimeter.
 
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AMan24 said:
But wouldn't the object slowly either come closer to Earth or go away from earth.
That happens in elliptic orbits.
 
Energy is conserved. You would need some mechanism for energy loss, such as friction, for objects in orbit to collapse and fall to Earth. Friction does exist, but the atmosphere is so thin in space that orbits can last for a very, very long time (depending on how high up it is).
 
AMan24 said:
But wouldn't the object slowly either come closer to Earth or go away from earth. As in like millimeter by milimeter.
Both of those things happen.
The moon is getting farther from us at about 38mm/yr. The tertiary sources I browsed (BBC, Universe Today) state this is due to tidal effects.
The ISS experiences an orbital decay of about 2 km/month. This is caused by atmospheric drag, iirc.
 
being in orbit is falling ! look up Newtons explanation of orbits
 

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