Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Earth Is Drifting Away From The Sun, And So Are All The Planets
Forbes ^ | 1/3/19 | Ethan Siegel

Posted on 01/04/2019 12:07:50 PM PST by LibWhacker

On January 3rd, 2019, Earth reached the point in its orbit where it's at its closest approach to the Sun: perihelion. Every object orbiting a single mass (like our Sun) makes an ellipse, containing a point of closest approach that's unique to that particular orbit, known as periapsis. For the past 4.5 billion years, Earth has orbited the Sun in an ellipse, just like all the other planets orbiting their stars in all the other mature solar systems throughout the galaxy and Universe.

But there's something you may not expect or appreciate that nevertheless occurs: Earth's orbital path doesn't remain the same over time, but spirals outward. This year, 2019, our perihelion was 1.5 centimeters farther away than it was last year, which was more distant than the year before, etc. It's not just Earth, either; every planet drifts away from its parent star. Here's the science of why.

The force responsible for the orbits of every planet around every solar system in the Universe is the same: the universal law of gravitation. Whether you look at it in terms of Newton, where every mass attracts every other mass in the Universe, or in terms of Einstein, where mass-and-energy curves the fabric of spacetime through which other masses travel, the largest mass dominates the orbit of everything it influences.

(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Science
KEYWORDS: astronomy; catastrophism; drifting; earth; orbit; science; sun; tidaltrnfrmomentum
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-126 next last
To: fwdude

The Earth is roughly an average 9.3 billion miles from the sun so in a billion years it will have moved out 0.0001% of the distance. In the same billion years the light and heat produced by the sun will have increased around 10%. If the sun keeps growing 10% every billion years while the Earth only moves away .0001%, the inevitably result is a scorched Earth. What is left over after that will probably not be recognizable as “Earth”.


81 posted on 01/04/2019 1:50:40 PM PST by Data Miner
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker

Somehow I suspect all this Orbital Change is related to us leaving the Paris Climate Accord

Also because we haven’t passed gun control.


82 posted on 01/04/2019 1:51:44 PM PST by SecAmndmt (Arm yourselves!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker
For me, it boils down to this: 1.5 centimeters a year equals 9,300 miles in a billion years.

I just topped my tank off, what a waste.

83 posted on 01/04/2019 1:53:09 PM PST by BlackbirdSST (Is it time Claire?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: shanover
For now everybody needs to go to one side of the planet.

The dark side? I'm in!

84 posted on 01/04/2019 2:01:09 PM PST by BlackbirdSST (Is it time Claire?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: shanover

But not to Guam - it might tip over!


85 posted on 01/04/2019 2:03:24 PM PST by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

To: Larry Lucido

Might be in cahoots.”

I think the word of the day is “collusion” not cahoots....


86 posted on 01/04/2019 2:07:06 PM PST by ConservativeDude
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: steve8714

“All planets? Even Uranus?”

Yes, when the sun turns into a red giant Uranus will be red hot and inflamed.


87 posted on 01/04/2019 2:10:12 PM PST by wildcard_redneck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker

Gotta buy more tinfoil.


88 posted on 01/04/2019 2:12:01 PM PST by sphinx
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fwdude

Nope, because Sun is growing in size, and in 5 Billion years is expected to morph into a “red giant” many times bigger than current size. That is how all stars end their life. It will still remain hot enough to fry planet earth.


89 posted on 01/04/2019 2:14:47 PM PST by entropy12 (One million LEGAL immigrants/year is too many, without vetting for skills, Wealth or English skills.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: wildcard_redneck

You mean similar to when one suffers from Montezuma’s revenge?


90 posted on 01/04/2019 2:15:53 PM PST by entropy12 (One million LEGAL immigrants/year is too many, without vetting for skills, Wealth or English skills.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 87 | View Replies]

To: C210N

IMHO the Sun’s variability of output and the Milankovitch Cycles explains our climate changing over time...The rest is insignificant by comparison...


91 posted on 01/04/2019 2:28:29 PM PST by elteemike (Light travels faster than sound...That's why so many people appear bright until you hear them speak)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker

I am a member of REASONS TO BELIEVE. We use these verses...
www.reasons.org

Isaiah 42:5: “Thus says God, the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out…”

Isaiah 44:24: “… I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens…”

Isaiah 45:12: “I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.”

Jeremiah 10:12: “It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.”

Jeremiah 51:15: “It is he who made the earth by his power, who established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding stretched out the heavens.”


92 posted on 01/04/2019 2:36:53 PM PST by buffyt (Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. Abe)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: fwdude

We won’t move away far enough, fast enough, to avoid being engulfed when the Sun goes Red Giant on us.


93 posted on 01/04/2019 2:58:19 PM PST by grey_whiskers (The opinions are solely those of the author and are subject to change without notice.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker

It will put a stop to Glo-Bull Warming...I guess the Climate Change morons will say it is because of Trump not cooperating with the Paris Accord..


94 posted on 01/04/2019 3:08:19 PM PST by Deplorable American1776 (Proud to be a DeplorableAmerican with a Deplorable Family...even the dog is, too. :-))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: steve8714

I hope Uranus is moving away faster than the other planets!


95 posted on 01/04/2019 3:11:09 PM PST by 2nd Amendment
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: fwdude

All we have to do is to perform a short retro-burn.


96 posted on 01/04/2019 3:28:29 PM PST by GingisK
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: plain talk

The Earth is 92.some million miles from the sun. One mile is equal to 160934.4 centimeters.
OMG! WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!


97 posted on 01/04/2019 3:55:45 PM PST by outofsalt (If history teaches us anything, it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Data Miner
"The Earth is roughly an average 9.3 billion miles from the sun"

Your decimal point is drifting dangerously in the wrong direction!

98 posted on 01/04/2019 4:03:33 PM PST by outofsalt (If history teaches us anything, it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker
"Earth's orbital path doesn't remain the same
over time, but spirals outward."

This is not a problem. What's needed is a new government
agency which will be named the Department to Stop the Drift
(the DTSTD.) The Pelosi Democrats will be happy to draw up
legislation for a massive 70% tax increase on all income
levels and businesses to fund this department.

In addition, the UN will help out but will need every nation
to contribute 50% of it's GDP to help fund it's activities.
Only the USA will be expected to actually contribute though.

99 posted on 01/04/2019 4:13:43 PM PST by StormEye
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LibWhacker

That explains why it’s been getting colder for the past few months.

Thanks for the info!


100 posted on 01/04/2019 4:14:17 PM PST by BobL (I eat at McDonald's and shop at Walmart - I just don't tell anyone.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 61-8081-100101-120121-126 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson