[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

Air pressure is not proportional to gravity, it’s determined by how much atmosphere there is, what it’s composed of, and other factors. The most important though is just how much air there is, as the pressure is literally how much air is sitting on top of you.

Titan and Venus, for example, have less gravity than earth but much higher surface pressures. It’d be pretty easy for a human with strap on wings to fly on Titan, actually.

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