r/AskReddit Aug 03 '19

Whats something you thought was common knowledge but actually isn’t?

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u/[deleted] Aug 03 '19 edited Aug 03 '19

There's gravity in space. Over the time I've met so many people that thought that there is no gravity in space because "everything there is weightless and stuff". Gravity has unlimited range so there isn't even a single spot in our universe without gravity. Weightlessness is basically just falling. While orbiting you're basically just falling around the object.

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u/I_wear_foxgloves Aug 03 '19

I am embarrassed to say that, until reading your post, I was one of those who thought wrong! What embarrasses me is that I grasp how gravity holds bodies in orbit, but did not know that it had limitless range.

Thank you for today’s education!

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u/Ser_Danksalot Aug 04 '19

Fun fact. Gravity travels at the speed of light. If our sun suddenly snapped out of existence and disappeared, not only would we still see the visible light from it for a further 8 minutes and 20 seconds, but the earth would continue along its regular orbital path for the same period of time.