# I will never understand how planets hang in the air



## Bretrick

Looking at that picture of Jupiter, what holds it up? What stops it from falling down?


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## Lara

I was just watching half of the movie, "Crazy Stupid Love". It was clever and funny.
Then I came here and this is the first thread I see. It's "Crazy Stupid" and Clever...I love it


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## Bretrick

Lara said:


> I was just watching half of the movie, "Crazy Stupid Love". It was clever and funny.
> Then I came here and this is the first thread I see. It's "Crazy Stupid" and I love it


Yeah,  Crazy Stupid Bretrick question.


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## Lara

It's a great question really. Off the top of my head without google and can only say...gravity and the will of God.
But gravity alone doesn't fully explain everything. Jupiter has a moon that is the most like earth but why...it's farther away from the us and farther away from the sun than some other planets like Mars. Go figure?


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## Bretrick

Lara said:


> It's a great question really. Off the top of my head without google and can only say...gravity and the will of God.
> But gravity alone doesn't fully explain everything...like why they circle around in a pattern with different atmospheres. Jupiter is suppose to be the most like earth but why...it's farther away from the us and farther away from the sun than some other planets like Mars. Go figure?


Another question that stumps me - If Jupiter is predominantly gas, why does it weigh 1900 Trillion Trillion kilograms.
Star Stuff stumps me.


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## Judycat

Jupiter, Earth, and our entire galaxy are falling through space at 1.3 million mph. Nothing is just hanging there.


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## Warrigal

Bretrick said:


> Another question that stumps me - If Jupiter is predominantly gas, why does it weigh 1900 Trillion Trillion kilograms.
> Star Stuff stumps me.


All matter has mass. Jupiter is made up of gaseous matter, lots and lots of it.
Ergo the mass of Jupiter is humungous.


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## Tommy

Bretrick said:


> What stops it from falling down?


What direction is "down"?


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## Pepper

@Tommy is right.  There are no ups & downs in space.


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## RadishRose

There is no gravity in space.


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## Paco Dennis

*There is gravity everywhere*. It gives shape to the orbits of the planets, the solar system, and even galaxies. Gravity from the Sun reaches throughout the solar system and beyond, keeping the planets in their orbits. Gravity from Earth keeps the Moon and human-made satellites in orbit.

Hall 2000 (Google)


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## win231

The smog is so thick, it supports the planets.


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## David777

The same question can be posed concerning positive and negative electric forces or between magnet poles.  How does something we sense with our eyes as being empty space even if a vacuum cause other stuff at a distance to attract or repel and other stuff to not interact at all? Tersely...

All 3-dimensional space in our universe and highly likely beyond to infinities, is permeated by a mix of energy fields.  Fermion matter is actually a form of dense structured energy as a result of forces of such fields.  That is why when antiparticles of matter collide the result is not a mix of smaller broken up matter but rather pure high energy photon bosons without mass.  Science doesn't know what the smallest dimensions of such stuff is but there are hypotheses.  For example string theory at Planck level dimensions.  

One might imagine stuff at a gravity level as being like a blob of some vast mix of elastic glues that is spread out unevenly, so naturally has an attraction as it is spread.  Something inherent in possibly all stuff because even photons are bent at least minimally as warped spacetime by gravity as indicated by gravity lensing effects around distant galaxies.  Other elements of stuff like electromagnetic elements of the glue attract, while their opposites from some apparent structure repel.  Other stuff without electromagnetic force like gravity or the Higg's field interact differently.  

What we sense as solid stuff is actually mostly empty space.  That is why our whole planet's stuff if compressed down to black hole dimensions would be just 17.5 millimeters in diameter. That is why a tiny neutrino from the sun can easily pass right through our whole planet without hitting anything or being deflected because there is so little at Planck dimensions for such a particle to hit or interact directly with.


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## Flarbalard

Bretrick said:


> Another question that stumps me - If Jupiter is predominantly gas, why does it weigh 1900 Trillion Trillion kilograms.
> Star Stuff stumps me.


It's not really THAT heavy-- the camera adds another 10 kilos.


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## Beezer

Centrifugal Force


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## Lara

Beezer said:


> Centrifugal Force


That and Inertia


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## RadishRose

Paco Dennis said:


> *There is gravity everywhere*. It gives shape to the orbits of the planets, the solar system, and even galaxies. Gravity from the Sun reaches throughout the solar system and beyond, keeping the planets in their orbits. Gravity from Earth keeps the Moon and human-made satellites in orbit.
> 
> Hall 2000 (Google)


Never mind.


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## MountainRa

I don’t even understand how TV signals travel through the air and end up as a picture in my living room much less how planets hang in the sky.


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## RadishRose

MountainRa said:


> I don’t even understand how TV signals travel through the air and end up as a picture in my living room much less how planets hang in the sky.


No kidding!


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## Lawrence

I find it peaceful thinking about the planets hanging in the air. We are all here in this moment of time, in this moment of space, such a big universe, with such a fragile existence. United we stand, divided we fall. Looking to the future within the passage of time, reality changes. Why do we worry so much about our existence. Maybe we should be content within the present of the moment that we exist within. Yay I say the planets hanging in the air like marbles spinning around in circles of whom the day will be the marbles when they collide and for what is naught. It is the here and now for what we exist. Let us have peace, let us exist, let us get along, for another day to be.


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## Lewkat

Magnetism.


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## Bella

Bretrick said:


> *Looking at that picture of Jupiter, what holds it up? What stops it from falling down?*



Strings.


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## ohioboy

Because the Moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with Mars!


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## RadishRose

ohioboy said:


> Because the Moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with Mars!


.....then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars.


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## Bella

ohioboy said:


> *Because the Moon is in the 7th house and Jupiter aligns with Mars!*





RadishRose said:


> *.....then peace will guide the planets and love will steer the stars.*


Wow, man, you guys are so far out, you're in The 5th Dimension!


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## Warrigal

MountainRa said:


> I don’t even understand how TV signals travel through the air and end up as a picture in my living room much less how planets hang in the sky.


Electromagnetic energy can travel through a vaccum.
If it could not, the sun's heat and light would not reach us here on earth.
Radio waves and X rays are other forms of electromagnetic energy.

Sound waves are different. They are transmitted by vibrating particles.
That's why they say in space, no-one can hear you scream.

Additional - as for ending up as a picture in your living room - energy can be changed from one form to another and that is what your radio or TV is designed to do.


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## ohioboy

MountainRa said:


> I don’t even understand how TV signals travel through the air and end up as a picture in my living room much less how planets hang in the sky.


Radio waves are picked up by your television and converted to assembled pixels. They are the same waves your radio picks up. The wireless telegraph was inspiration for radio.


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## HoneyNut

I heard that the static on our old TV screens was leftover from the Big Bang.

Time confuses me, if time goes faster for astronauts that just circle a little way above the earth, how slow is time in the center of the earth?


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## win231

Paco Dennis said:


> *There is gravity everywhere*. It gives shape to the orbits of the planets, the solar system, and even galaxies. Gravity from the Sun reaches throughout the solar system and beyond, keeping the planets in their orbits. Gravity from Earth keeps the Moon and human-made satellites in orbit.
> 
> Hall 2000 (Google)


Of course there is gravity everywhere.
Us old people are well aware of gravity.


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## Been There

The gravity of the sun holds the planets in their orbit and keeps it positioned in their ecliptic order. There’s another part to this rule, but I have forgotten it. Too many moons have risen since my college days.


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## JaniceM

Been There said:


> The gravity of the sun holds the planets in their orbit and keeps it positioned in their ecliptic order. There’s another part to this rule, but I have forgotten it. *Too many moons have risen since my college days.*


Like the scene in American Graffiti?


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## Been There

JaniceM said:


> Like the scene in American Graffiti?


I watched that movie. I enjoyed the music in that era.


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## JaniceM

Been There said:


> I watched that movie. I enjoyed the music in that era.


Me too.


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## Georgiagranny

I can explain in very simple terms for those of us who aren't science-savvy:

They hang in the air the same way that voices travel through the air when you're talking on the phone. 

Yup. IOW, just take it on blind faith. It's what I do and has made my life so much simpler  

Now, just in case y'all think I'm a complete doofus, before I retired the first time (in 1990), I designed digital long distance circuits at a major telecommunications company. Sure did. And never ever took a customer out of service unless they wanted to be and never ever missed a due date to get a customer in service. Funny how that works


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## Mr. Ed

Electromagnetic currents


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## jujube

The universe is just a big bowl of blueberry Jello.  The stars and planets are chunks of fruit suspended in it and we're all at a picnic of the Supreme Cosmic Beings. 

Heaven help us when they get to the dessert course.


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## Been There

Georgiagranny said:


> I can explain in very simple terms for those of us who aren't science-savvy:
> 
> *They hang in the air the same way that voices travel through the air when you're talking on the phone.*
> 
> Yup. IOW, just take it on blind faith. It's what I do and has made my life so much simpler
> 
> Now, just in case y'all think I'm a complete doofus, before I retired the first time (in 1990), I designed digital long distance circuits at a major telecommunications company. Sure did. And never ever took a customer out of service unless they wanted to be and never ever missed a due date to get a customer in service. Funny how that works


I respectfully submit that your analogy is not exactly accurate.


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## Georgiagranny

Been There said:


> I respectfully submit that your analogy is not exactly accurate.


Duh. Lighten up. It's good for your digestion.

Facetious: treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant


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## JustDave

I read that the earth is held up by elephants standing on the backs of turtles, but I think that was pre-science.


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## NorthernLight

Been There said:


> The gravity of the sun holds the planets in their orbit and keeps it positioned in their ecliptic order. There’s another part to this rule, but I have forgotten it. Too many moons have risen since my college days.


The other part is that without gravity, the planets would just fly off into space, away from the sun. 

So, planetary orbits are caused by the interaction between flying away and being pulled back by the sun's gravity.


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## win231

Remember that bumper sticker:  _"There is no gravity.  The earth sucks."_


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## Been There

NorthernLight said:


> The other part is that without gravity, the planets would just fly off into space, away from the sun.
> 
> So, planetary orbits are caused by the interaction between flying away and being pulled back by the sun's gravity.


I wrote the same thing in Post 32.


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## oldpop

_*What stops it from falling down?*_

Which way is up and which way was down?


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## horseless carriage

Paco Dennis said:


> *There is gravity everywhere*. It gives shape to the orbits of the planets, the solar system, and even galaxies. Gravity from the Sun reaches throughout the solar system and beyond, keeping the planets in their orbits. Gravity from Earth keeps the Moon and human-made satellites in orbit.
> 
> Hall 2000 (Google)


A witty piece of graffiti that I remember from my student days: "Gravity is a myth, the Earth sucks!"


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## Flarbalard




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## ohioboy

Centrifugal force in conjunction with Centripetal force =  the ball won't fall.


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## -Oy-

Bretrick said:


> Looking at that picture of Jupiter, what holds it up? What stops it from falling down?



WIZARDS!!!


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## Been There

NorthernLight said:


> The other part is that without gravity, the planets would just fly off into space, away from the sun.
> 
> So, planetary orbits are caused by the interaction between flying away and being pulled back by the sun's gravity.


Isn’t that what I wrote, only the words are a little rearranged, but not to the point where the meaning or logic was changed.


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## Been There

Georgiagranny said:


> Duh. Lighten up. It's good for your digestion.
> 
> Facetious: treating serious issues with deliberately inappropriate humor; flippant


I am sorry that you took my post as being personal. It wasn’t meant that way. I thought my post would produce a debate, which is healthy behavior. However, I find your reply offensive, but that happens from time to time on any forum. From here on, I will place you on ignore and then my digestion will get better. Thanks for the suggestion, although I never had a digestion problem. I don’t get into back and forth in kind comments. Doing that has never produced a winner of the wits.


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## FastTrax

This is akin to trying to explain infinity. Time to hit the bong yo.


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## Jamala

Interesting question. 
Two things keep them in place: Gravity and Inertia

Gravity is the primary force that controls the orbit of the planets around the sun. While each planet has its own gravity based on the size of the planet and the speed at which it travels, orbit is based on the gravity of the sun. Inertia is the physical law that states that objects in motion have a tendency to remain in motion also plays a role in keeping the planets in orbit.
All this designed by a divine mathematician.


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## Alligatorob

Bretrick said:


> Looking at that picture of Jupiter, what holds it up?


Strings, you just can't see them.


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## horseless carriage

The five naked-eye planets, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, have been known since antiquity. The Greeks called them Hermes, Aphrodite, Ares, Zeus, and Cronus, respectively.

Centuries later, the Romans adopted the planets of the Greeks and simply changed their names to Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

All was well until 1781, when astronomer William Herschel discovered a planet beyond Saturn. For more than half a century, there was no agreement on a name. But finally, someone with a wicked sense of humour came up with the name Uranus.

In 1846, John Couch Adams and Urbain Jean Joseph Le Verrier simultaneously predicted the position of an eighth planet, which astronomers found easily. Astronomers agreed on the name Neptune. Finally, in 1930, an English girl, name of: Venetia Burney Phair who will best be remembered for what she accomplished at the age of 11, discovering another planet, giving Pluto its name.

Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto are all names of Roman gods, so their choices preserved the overall naming scheme of the solar system.


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## Knight

Bretrick said:


> Looking at that picture of Jupiter, what holds it up? What stops it from falling down?


It's the black string that you can't see. And thru the magic of science that black string becomes transparent in daylight.


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## jujube

I have never understood why planes don't just fall out of the sky........and I'm supposed to know why planets stay up there?  Yer askin' the wrong gal.


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## Knight

jujube said:


> I have never understood why planes don't just fall out of the sky........and I'm supposed to know why planets stay up there?  Yer askin' the wrong gal.


they do when the propeller stops turning or the jet engine stops. 

Example
Miracle on the Hudson. 
About two minutes into the flight, the airplane flew into a flock of Canada geese. Both engines were severely damaged, causing an almost complete loss of thrust. Repeated attempts to restart the engines were unsuccessful.


Sullenberger notified LaGuardia’s air control that he was returning to the airport. However, as the plane continued to descend in a glide, Sullenberger believed that it would be unable to reach LaGuardia. An airport in New Jersey was also quickly ruled out. Shortly thereafter he notified air control that he was going to attempt a very risky and rare water landing, in the Hudson River. 

Poorly written article or at least this part an almost complete loss of thrust. Loss of thrust is because restarting the engines were unsuccessful. If the engine isn't running it can't produce thrust.


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## horseless carriage

Knight said:


> or at least this part an almost complete loss of thrust. Loss of thrust is because restarting the engines were unsuccessful. If the engine isn't running it can't produce thrust.


Sounds like my love life in old age!


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