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Newton’s orbital cannon

Diagram demonstrating Newton’s orbital cannon theory.

Newton reasoned that, if the cannon ball was fired with exactly the right velocity, the ball would travel completely around the Earth, always falling in the gravitational field but never reaching the Earth, which is curving away at the same rate that the projectile falls. It would be placed in orbit around the Earth.

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wananga o Waikato
Published:27 March 2013Size: 877.99 KB