MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Subject: Quick second question on Increase in Gravitational Attraction

Date: Fri May 9 15:20:56 2003
Posted by No name entered.
Grade level: 10-12 School: No school entered.
City: No city entered. State/Province: No state entered. Country: No country entered.
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 1052511656.As
Message:

Hi! Irene Little Faculty answered my first question, and I really appreciate 
your help. I have a second question continuing from (ID: 1047146296.As). 

You responded by saying that if Jupiter's mass was to increase, its moon would 
move closer to Jupiter, increase speed, then form a stable orbit. IF, however, 
Jupiter's mass kept increasing, at a fixed rate lets say (ie. because many 
many meteorites continually hit it, increasing its mass more), would the moon 
not keep moving closer to Jupiter, as the gravitational attraction increased?

The moderator added that it might happen if the mass of Jupiter was increased 
so much that the "orbital radius of its moons becomes smaller than the size of 
the planet". How would you go about checking for this/finding this, and at 
what increase of mass do you estimate this would occur at?

Thanks again-


Re: Quick second question on Increase in Gravitational Attraction

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