A gravity well or gravitational well is a conceptual model of the gravitational field surrounding a body in space. The more massive the body the deeper and more extensive the gravity well associated with it. The Sun has a far-reaching and deep gravity well. Asteroids and small moons have much shallower gravity wells. Anything on the surface of a planet or moon is considered to be at the bottom of that celestial body's gravity well. Entering space from the surface of a planet or moon means climbing out of the gravity well. The deeper a planet or moon's gravity well is, the more energy it takes to achieve escape velocity.
In astrophysics, a gravity well is specifically the gravitational potential field around a massive body. Other types of potential wells include electrical and magnetic potential wells. Physical models of gravity wells are sometimes used to illustrate orbital mechanics. Gravity wells are frequently confused with general relativistic embedding diagrams, but the two concepts are unrelated.
Read more about Gravity Well: Details, Physical Gravity Wells, The Rubber-sheet Model, Gravity Wells and General Relativity
Famous quotes containing the word gravity:
“Here I sit down to form characters. One I intend to be all goodness; All goodness he is. Another I intend to be all gravity; All gravity he is. Another Lady Gish; All Lady Gish she is. I am all the while absorbed in the character. It is not fair to say—I, identically I, am anywhere, while I keep within the character.”
—Samuel Richardson (1689–1761)