Labs / Physics
Orbits & Gravity
Drag anywhere on the sky and let go to fling a planet past the star. The same inverse-square law that holds the Solar System together decides whether your planet loops back in a closed ellipse or races off forever. Change the star's mass, add more worlds, and watch the trails.
speed —distance —planets 0
What to try
- What launch speed turns a stretched-out comet into a near-perfect circle?
- If you drag straight at the star instead of sideways, where does the planet end up?
- Make the star heavier mid-orbit — does a stable ellipse survive, or does the planet fall in?
- How fast must a planet be moving to escape the star completely and never return?
- Add several planets at the same distance but different speeds. Why do they trace such different paths?