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Why is there no up and down in space?
Why is there no up and down in space?
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1 Reply
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There is space up and down. “Down” is simply that the force of gravity draws you to it, and that “up” is just the opposite. Just as there is a gravitational pull in space, there is also an upside down everywhere in space. Gravity is the force of gravity in the center of the earth, so “falling” means falling or being pulled toward the center of a large object nearby. When you are in space and the earth is the closest thing to the stars, you fall to the ground. So the bottom is towards the center of the earth and the top is above the center of the earth where it is closest to the earth. The Down does not face the South Pole and does not point to the North of the Earth. This misconception comes from the way we often have flat maps. The Nile River would not flow north if the north were higher. Unfortunately, in an effort to explain why the north is not at the top and the south is not at the bottom, many people conclude that there is no upper or lower atmosphere, which is obviously wrong. If the earth is a large body nearby, the bottom is always facing the center of the earth and the top stays away from the earth’s surface. Nothing happens magically when you leave the surface of the earth and board the International Space Station: the ground is on the same path.
