[ELI5] Netflix alien worlds: sky grazers of atlas

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So this TV show makes up possible life forms from exoplanets. Atlas’ gravity is 2x earth, but they say it is easier to fly there because of the air pressure. I don’t get it. I expect air pressure proportional to gravity, and the Bernoulli principle is proportional to density, so 2x gravity 2x air 2x lift. Not easier. The same. I feel like I am missing something.

In: Physics

2 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

A larger planet with a proportionally larger (by mass) atmosphere would result in a smaller (by altitude… possibly by volume…) atmosphere would make flight more viable. This is because on a more massive planet the atmosphere is more attracted to the center of mass, and will therefore be pulled to a lower average altitude. This will result in a high density and pressure atmosphere, which consequently makes buoyancy and lift forces higher for a given object (random blob or airplane or bird like creature, etc) and probably also higher compared to the gravity at a given altitude (especially at the near surface altitudes)

Edit: the higher mass atmosphere results in it all being lower

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