the sun's gravitational influence

[ehrichweiss]

This question will certainly lead to other questions if my hunch is correct but I have to ask this...<br /><br />At what distance, theoretically at least, does the sun cease to have gravitational influence on an object? Or at least cease to have influence more than other stars in the "region"? Is this the same distance known as "termination shock"? <br /> <br />OH, and since gravity is based on the mass of an object, let's just say that the object is the size of the moon or smaller.

 

[ehrichweiss]

I thought the "rubber sheet" analogy of gravity suggested that a large object would have a large gravitational influence over a relatively short distance and then would quickly diminish to nearly zero. Maybe I didn't understand it quite the way I thought.<br /><br />Anyway, the 1.5 light years gives me a number to work with. I'll report back if my numbers add up.

 

[alokmohan]

Pioneers and voyagers have the reply.

 

[yevaud]

Link on the Heliosphere and Termination Shock.<br /><br />Link <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[alokmohan]

Thats it.

 

[nexium]

The hub is the most important influence, if you are stationary with respect to the hub. The attraction of the hub is quite small at Earth distance, so you would accellerate very slowly toward the hub, unless you were in a stronger gravity field due to some things closer. You would do a sling shot manuver around any large mass you missed by a tiny amount and the hub attraction would there after be close to negligible, I think. Neil