Review: Gravity

Gravity starring

Sandra Bullock
George Clooney

Directed by Alfonso Cuarón

In  Gravity, Sandra Bullock portrays a mission specialist aboard sts 157, George Clooney a veteran astronaut and mission commander.  

During an EVA to repair the Hubble Space Telescope Bullock and Clooney's characters are informed

that a Russian missile strike on a defunct Russian satellite has create a huge cloud of high speed junk that strikes the shuttle, ISS as well as other craft on the same orbit. 

The balance of the film depicts Bullock's character working to return to Earth.

I was really surprised to find this film on cable tv, but there it was.  The film is mildly technical but brings a boatload of excitement.  There is the obligatory dead body floating into view, plus a variety of HUH? scenes, but for the realistic spaceflight (not as real as Apollo 13 but home-work was done) will thoroughly enjoy Gravity. Both Bullock and Clooney put in excellent efforts. 

I would rate the movie an 8.  Acting was good.  Plus the high moments throughout the film keeps your interest.    

Gravity Waves Discovered

One of the most significant discoveries may have taken place in the field of physics.

In 1915 Albert Einstein theorized that massive objects could cause ripples in local space/time.  These "ripples" are better known as gravity Waves.

One of the devices that has the best chance of discovering gravitational waves is the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory which was upgraded in 2015.

Gravity waves are the product of two massive objects colliding or the rapid collapse of a massive star. The more massive the collapse or collision, the greater and more numerous the ripples.

For more information click the Gizmodo.com link        

Wikipedia link to gravity waves

Barycentric Systems

Whaaaaa?

How many times have you tried to explain the Earth Moon system and their orbital dynamics?

The Earth and Moon orbit around each other at the point of equal mass or the Barycenter.   Any system that  has moving mass in balance with another has a center of mass.  The Solar System has such a center.   The Moon appears to orbit the Earth but in truth they both orbit the same center of mass.  The effect is a bit difficult to observe as the center is below the surface of the Earth so the movement is slight compared to the Moon.   It is the same with any planet or star that has bodies orbiting.

Check out this ESA short that has an excellent demonstration of just this effect.


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Great Gravity Demonstration

I know that most of you have a good grip on gravity, but a very nice demonstration is always fun.
I found it fascinating even though trying to visualize this effect on all three dimensions...lol 

Is Our Understanding of Gravity Fundamentally Wrong?

At a recent RAS National Astronomy Meeting, a team of astronomers headed by Hongsheng Zhao presented a radical paper on our understanding of gravity. First their theory suggests that the Milky Way and Andromeda collided 10 billion years ago and this would mean that our understanding of gravity is fundamentally wrong. However it would go a long way towards explaining the observed structure of the two galaxies.

In 2009, Zhao led An international team of astronomers that found a strange link between 'dark matter' and galaxies that suggests unknown force is acting on dark matter.

Zhao's research suggests that the interactions between dark and ordinary matter could be more important and more complex than previously thought, and even speculate that dark matter might not exist and that the anomalous motions of stars in galaxies are due to a modification of gravity on extragalactic scales.

 

The rest of the Daily Galaxy Article is Great, check it out HERE

Gravity: Behind the Frame a Short Film

Here is a breath taking behind the scene look at not so much how the movie Gravity was made but the driving force from director Alfonso Cuarón and NASA consultant astronaut Cady Coleman as they discuss the intense experience of Gravity and the preparation that went into delivering a true-to-life space exploration.