- #1
wlcgeek
- 12
- 0
Why Don't Planets "Fall" into the Sun?
Ok, guys, I am new to physics (just studying it on my own before taking it next year in school) and watched a bunch of videos online about general relativity and gravity.
I'm sort of stuck, though, with why if general relativity explains gravity as the warping/curving of space-time itself that planets don't "fall" into or towards the sun?
...So like, if the space around the sun is "indented" the way of bowling ball resting on a trampoline would be, then shouldn't objects not only be "pulled" towards the center of that indentation...but literally like fall into the center. If you have that bowling ball resting in the center of the trampoline and causing an indentation and warping the shape of the trampoline, then if you like roll a tennis ball on the part of the trampoline where it's warped/indented, then that tennis ball "falls" into the center. ...But why wouldn't that happen with our planets and the sun too?
Ok, guys, I am new to physics (just studying it on my own before taking it next year in school) and watched a bunch of videos online about general relativity and gravity.
I'm sort of stuck, though, with why if general relativity explains gravity as the warping/curving of space-time itself that planets don't "fall" into or towards the sun?
...So like, if the space around the sun is "indented" the way of bowling ball resting on a trampoline would be, then shouldn't objects not only be "pulled" towards the center of that indentation...but literally like fall into the center. If you have that bowling ball resting in the center of the trampoline and causing an indentation and warping the shape of the trampoline, then if you like roll a tennis ball on the part of the trampoline where it's warped/indented, then that tennis ball "falls" into the center. ...But why wouldn't that happen with our planets and the sun too?