Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Great article, there's something I didn't quite understand though. Why would the Sun's gravity make the probe go _slower_ as it moves _away_ from it?



Because the sun attracts the probe (and vice versa). Or equivalently the probe is climbing out of the gravity well of the sun loosing kinetic energy in exchange for potential energy in the sun's gravitational field.


The same reason as when you throw a ball into the air, and it slows down despite moving away from the Earth (until it eventually stops and starts to fall again).




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: