From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Wed Aug 29 2001 - 23:36:06 MDT
Tim:
> >> Saying that the planets orbit the sun in ellipses is saying that
> >> the sun's frame of reference is preferred to the earth's.
> > This is a common myth, but it is untrue for two reasons.
Tim again:
> It's a pretty mainstream interpretation of Mach's Principle,
> though not one that all scientists accept.
Yes. General relativity allows one to posit one's coordinates
anywhere one wishes and to establish an inertial frame of
reference there.
But I had forgotten about the fact that the Earth doesn't revolve
around the sun. No, of course it doesn't! Even in the reference
frame of the fixed stars! Who ever told you that the Earth revolves
around the sun????
Thanks for the correction!!!! It actually revolves around a
constantly moving point inside the sun, along with the sun, and
with the planets, that happens to be at the center of mass of
the sun and planets. I guess we should go amend all the stupid
textbooks that say that the Earth revolves around the sun!
(Sarcasm is a sign of impatience and flummoxization.)
Lee
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