- #1
Jens K Munk
- 4
- 3
Hi Forum,
I've been pondering about this for a while and I hope someone here can help!
Imagine two bodies orbiting each other in tidal locking (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_locking) just like Pluto and Charon, or as Earth and a geostationary satellite.
Nothing else exists in this imagined universe.
What determines that these two bodies orbit each other at all? Can they not be considered at rest, but for some reason not attracting each other and colliding? Does there not need to be an external reference, such as a 3rd body, relative to which the two bodies orbit each other? And if so, what is this reference?
I guess there's a flaw to my thinking. Please show it to me!
Thanks in advance,
/Jens
I've been pondering about this for a while and I hope someone here can help!
Imagine two bodies orbiting each other in tidal locking (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_locking) just like Pluto and Charon, or as Earth and a geostationary satellite.
Nothing else exists in this imagined universe.
What determines that these two bodies orbit each other at all? Can they not be considered at rest, but for some reason not attracting each other and colliding? Does there not need to be an external reference, such as a 3rd body, relative to which the two bodies orbit each other? And if so, what is this reference?
I guess there's a flaw to my thinking. Please show it to me!
Thanks in advance,
/Jens