graphics about black holes or planets’ influence on gravity, etc., always show these bodies “sitting” on a flat surface and then bending that surface below them. is this a literal representation – ie is there a definitive “down” direction that always dips under the objects’ mass? or does it happen in multiple directions somehow? (or am i misunderstanding something fundamental about this curving?)
In: Physics
No, things are actually 3D and gravity does work in 3D, but visualizations can just be abstract and “simplified”.
If you observe a starry sky, you can see how all around us there are stars. In every direction. 3D. But of course, eventually you might reach the edge of the galaxy and not see stars on one side, if you were able to move within the galaxy.
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