EWyatt Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Perhaps it's simplistic, but.... Why do most objects falling from very high altitides always seem to fall towards Earth at a steep angle? Why not just plop right down from above? This is evident in meteors falling, the doomed space shuttle a decade ago, other objects. Is it the Earth's rotation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MigL Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 There is only one direction where the fall can be perfectly perpendicular. There are multiple directions where the fall is not perpendicular and is bent into an orbital arc by gravity. What are the odds ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robittybob1 Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) Perhaps it's simplistic, but.... Why do most objects falling from very high altitides always seem to fall towards Earth at a steep angle? Why not just plop right down from above? This is evident in meteors falling, the doomed space shuttle a decade ago, other objects. Is it the Earth's rotation? The space shuttle has a very small window of re-entry. They deliberately brought it in on that angle. Space rocks are generally falling toward the Sun and the Earth intercepts them, I think you will find that generally produces an angled passage. Good diagram of re-entry angles http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_entry#Notable_atmospheric_entry_accidents Edited March 22, 2015 by Robittybob1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strange Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Also, these objects have high velocities. Unless that velocity is directed directly at the centre of the Earth (not likely for the meteors, impossible for the space shuttle) then they will fall at an angle. If something, say a whale or a bowl of petunias, were to suddenly materialise at rest in the upper atmosphere, then it would fall straight down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Is it the Earth's rotation? Also the orbit. There's no way for something to be "directly above" us for any length of time and fall toward us, because we are not stationary, nor can we think of ourselves as stationary (we are not in an inertial frame) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimreepr Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 If something, say a whale or a bowl of petunias, were to suddenly materialise at rest in the upper atmosphere, then it would fall straight down. Yes, but what would be the probability of that happening? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swansont Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Yes, but what would be the probability of that happening? With or without a whale? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dimreepr Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) With or without a whale? Only the whale would care, probably. Edited March 22, 2015 by dimreepr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acme Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Shouldn't the topic of fallen angels be in religion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robittybob1 Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 (edited) If something, say a whale or a bowl of petunias, were to suddenly materialise at rest in the upper atmosphere, then it would fall straight down. That is quite a big IF, if I may say so. Edited March 22, 2015 by Robittybob1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strange Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 That is quite a big IF, if I may say so. It is, obviously, infinitely improbable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
studiot Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 If something, say a whale or a bowl of petunias, were to suddenly materialise at rest in the upper atmosphere, then it would fall straight down. Would that depend on the velocity it materialised with, relative the the surface point over which it materialised. And what materialisation velocity would you prescribe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strange Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Would that depend on the velocity it materialised with, relative the the surface point over which it materialised. And what materialisation velocity would you prescribe? That is why I said "at rest" (with the "with reference to the surface of the Earth" implied). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imatfaal Posted March 23, 2015 Share Posted March 23, 2015 Also, these objects have high velocities. Unless that velocity is directed directly at the centre of the Earth (not likely for the meteors, impossible for the space shuttle) then they will fall at an angle. If something, say a whale or a bowl of petunias, were to suddenly materialise at rest in the upper atmosphere, then it would fall straight down. "oh no, not again" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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