What is it like to feel gravity on Neptune or Jupiter, or to experience the G-forces that astronauts endure when they’re returning to Earth in the Soyuz?
In this clip from episode 3 of Wonders of the Universe, Professor Brian Cox walks us through the feeling of increasing G-forces while he spins in a centrifuge — a huge spinning machine that simulates the high gravity of other worlds or the acceleration felt by fighter pilots and astronauts.
Related reading: All About G Forces at PBS.org, and from IAAPA.org, here are a few examples of everyday gravitational forces that create no ill-effects because of their brevity: A sneeze, 2.9 g; a cough, 3.5 g; a plop into a chair, 10.1 g.
Next: What on Earth is spin? Plus, there’s more astronaut training on this site.
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