Chinese space station falling to earth

[Ripster42]

Can we agree that this Chinese space station is not in orbit?

It's in a decaying orbit, but it's still in orbit.

[Jonnusthegreat]

It's in a decaying orbit, but it's still in orbit.

Is everything that hits the Earth in a decaying orbit?

Am I orbiting the Earth?

[Ripster42]

Is everything that hits the Earth in a decaying orbit?

Am I orbiting the Earth?

It's still going around the earth. Every time it completes a full circle, that's one orbit. As long as it keeps doing that, it's in orbit, though currently in one that is decaying. This shouldn't be hard.

[Jonnusthegreat]

It's still going around the earth. Every time it completes a full circle, that's one orbit. As long as it keeps doing that, it's in orbit, though currently in one that is decaying. This shouldn't be hard.

So I am, in fact, orbiting the Earth.

[Orange Joe]

So I am, in fact, orbiting the Earth.

Rotating with the earth by standing on it =/= orbiting earth

[Jonnusthegreat]

Rotating with the earth by standing on it =/= orbiting earth

So I am, in fact, orbiting the center of the Earth.

[Ripster42]

So I am, in fact, orbiting the center of the Earth.

You are beyond hopeless. Have fun being ignorant.

[Garnier Fructis]

So I am, in fact, orbiting the center of the Earth.

What is even your point here?

[bladeXcrasher]

What is even your point here?

They are refusing to admit they are wrong.

[Orange Joe]

So I am, in fact, orbiting the center of the Earth.

No you are rotating with the earth. You are not going around anything. The center spins with you too.

[AwkwardSquirtle]

hopefully it lands on a draenei.

There are draenei on Earth?

[Celista]

Hopefully it doesn't hit anyone on the way down.

[ohwell]

I am no way shape or form going to be running towards trash falling from space...

Much less unless it's in either polar regions or other sparsely inhabited regions, the region will be known eventually and the governments of the areas will be ready to restrict the area if possible.

[Celista]

So I am, in fact, orbiting the Earth.

I feel like nitpicking and not admitting to being wrong is a common theme with you...

[Garnier Fructis]

I feel like nitpicking and not admitting to being wrong is a common theme with you...

Which is a very, very disturbing quality to find in a mathematics teacher. People who have issues admitting fault are completely unsuited to doing or teaching mathematics.

[Christan]

i misread my source on this. but the fact that it will float away still proves my point.

The only times something wouldnt be orbiting the earth, is if its flying far away, landing, or at a Lagrange point(where gravities pull is enough to keep it centered, other than that either minor(as if there is a thing such as minor) thrusters or a massive amount of gravity(moon earth is a gravitic, almost magnetic relationship)(which it is losing) is needed

But yeah, if a(military) sat is hovering in a point where the push/pull of gravity keeps it stable, it wont be orbiting earth but trailing it.
(Okay...lagrange points are a lot more involved than i thought, but heh, suns gravity is taken into account also, so it wouldnt be trailing earth)

[Deleted]

So I am, in fact, orbiting the center of the Earth.

You are not orbiting because you have the earth's surface exerting "normal force" on you. An orbit is maintained using distance and the mass of the objects only, to prevent it's fall to the centre of the earth. Your weight stops you flying

[AwkwardSquirtle]

Your weight stops you flying

Rude .

[Jonnusthegreat]

What is even your point here?

The point is that something coming in contact with the Earth is not orbiting the Earth. I'm glad 7 people confirmed my point while I was at dinner.

[Lahis]

I'm so confused by what he was trying to say... orbits... how do they work?

Everything on orbit falls towards Earth. To stay on orbit they need to move sideways fast enough that they miss the curvature of Earth, thus staying in orbit. The closer the object is, the faster it needs to move.

- - - Updated - - -

everything in orbit (yes, even the moon) will someday crash to earth, unless it has some sort of propulsion to keep in in place. thats how orbits work.

Not the Moon though. It's moving a tad too fast, it is getting away from us.