The article talks about what gravity is, what gravity is on other planets, why it occurs, what it is for, and also its impact on various organisms.
Space
People have been dreaming about traveling to the stars since ancient times, starting from the time when the first astronomers examined other planets of our system and their satellites in primitive telescopes, which means, in their opinion, they could be inhabited.
Since then, many centuries have passed, but alas, interplanetary and even more so flights to other stars are impossible even now. And the only extraterrestrial object that researchers have visited is the Moon. But already at the beginning of the 20th century, scientists knew that gravity on other planets is different from ours. But why? What is it, why does it arise and can it be destructive? We will analyze these questions.
A bit of physics
Even Isaac Newton developed a theory according to which any two objects experience a mutual force of attraction. On the scale of the cosmos and the universe as a whole, such a phenomenon manifests itself very clearly. The most striking example is our planet and the Moon, which, thanks to gravity, revolves around the Earth. We see the manifestation of gravity in everyday life,we just get used to it and don't pay attention at all. This is the so-called force of attraction. It is because of her that we do not soar in the air, but calmly walk on the ground. It also helps to keep our atmosphere from gradually evaporating into space. For us it is conditional 1 G, but what is the force of gravity on other planets?
Mars
Mars is the most physically similar to our planet. Of course, living there is problematic due to the lack of air and water, but it is located in the so-called habitable zone. True, it is very conditional. It does not have the terrifying heat of Venus, the centuries-old storms of Jupiter, and the absolute cold of Titan. And scientists of recent decades have not abandoned attempts to come up with methods for terraforming it, creating conditions suitable for life without spacesuits. However, what is such a phenomenon as gravity on Mars? It is 0.38 g from the earth, which is about half as much. This means that on the red planet you can jump and jump much higher than on Earth, and all weights will also weigh much less. And this is quite enough to hold not only its current, "frail" and liquid atmosphere, but also a much denser one.
True, it's too early to talk about terraformation, because first you need to at least just land on it and establish permanent and reliable flights. But still, the force of gravity on Mars is quite suitable for the habitation of future settlers.
Venus
Another closest planet to us (exceptMoon) is Venus. This is a world with monstrous conditions and an incredibly dense atmosphere, beyond which no one has been able to look for a long time. Its presence, by the way, was discovered by none other than Mikhail Lomonosov.
The atmosphere is the cause of the greenhouse effect and the terrifying average surface temperature of 467 degrees Celsius! Sulfuric acid is constantly raining down on the planet and lakes of liquid tin are boiling. Such is the inhospitable planet Venus. Its gravity is 0.904 G from the earth, which is almost identical.
It is also a candidate for terraforming, and was first reached by a Soviet research station on August 17, 1970.
Jupiter
Another planet in the solar system. Or rather, a gas giant, consisting mainly of hydrogen, which, closer to the surface, becomes liquid due to the monstrous pressure. According to calculations, by the way, in its depths it is quite possible that one day a thermonuclear reaction will break out, and we will have two suns. But if this happens, then, to put it mildly, not soon, so you should not worry. Jupiter's gravity is 2.535 g relative to Earth.
Moon
As already mentioned, the only object of our system (except the Earth), where people have been, is the Moon. True, disputes still do not subside, whether those landings were a reality or a hoax. However, due to its low mass, gravity at the surface is only 0.165 g of Earth's.
The influence of gravity onliving organisms
The force of attraction also has various effects on living beings. Simply put, when other habitable worlds are discovered, we will see that their inhabitants differ greatly from each other depending on the mass of their planets. For example, if the Moon were inhabited, then it would be inhabited by very tall and fragile creatures, and vice versa, on a planet with the mass of Jupiter, the inhabitants would be very short, strong and massive. Otherwise, on weak limbs in such conditions, you simply cannot survive with all your will.
The force of gravity will play an important role in the future colonization of the same Mars. According to the laws of biology, if you do not use something, then it will gradually atrophy. Astronauts from the ISS on Earth are met with chairs on wheels, since their muscles are used very little in zero gravity, and even regular strength training does not help. So the offspring of colonists on other planets will be at least taller and physically weaker than their ancestors.
So we figured out what gravity is like on other planets.
