Surface Gravity
The surface gravity at the equator of a body can in most cases be accurately calculated using Newton's law of universal gravitation and centrifugal force.
The gravitational acceleration at the equator is given by Newton's law of universal gravitation. The formula that follows from this law is:
where
- ag is the magnitude of the gravitational acceleration
- G is the gravitational constant
- m is the mass of the celestial body
- r is the equatorial radius of the celestial body (if this varies significantly, the mean equatorial radius is used)
The magnitude of the outward acceleration due to centrifugal force is given by
where
- T is the rotation period of the celestial body
The surface gravity at the equator is then given by
Read more about this topic: List Of Solar System Objects By Size
Famous quotes containing the words surface and/or gravity:
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