Location of the equator in certain maps

[lilnev]

Actually I think a space elevator would have to be exactly on the equator. Reason is that the upper station has to be orbiting, and orbits have to be great circles. The only great circle that's geostationary is the equator. Try to imagine a geostationary orbit at, say 45 degrees north. Gravity pulls straight towards the earth's center, so the force on the satellite has a southward component. Hence it's acceleration will have a southward component, and it can't stay geostationary. The game relaxes this to +/-30 for obvious gameplay reasons.

peace,
lilnev, physics nerd

 

[Zombie69]

I'm pretty sure the rectification is wrong. The space elevator rotates around the planet in the same circular motion that the planet itself has, and i can't see any force whatsoever pushing it in the direction you've shown.

 

[Zombie69]

Actually I think a space elevator would have to be exactly on the equator. Reason is that the upper station has to be orbiting, and orbits have to be great circles. The only great circle that's geostationary is the equator. Try to imagine a geostationary orbit at, say 45 degrees north. Gravity pulls straight towards the earth's center, so the force on the satellite has a southward component. Hence it's acceleration will have a southward component, and it can't stay geostationary. The game relaxes this to +/-30 for obvious gameplay reasons.

peace,
lilnev, physics nerd

Actually, the wikipedia article above explains that for a space elevator on Mars, it might be better to build it at 5 degrees latitude. Hence it's possible to do so.

 

[Hyppy]

Doesn't the Earth spin on a tilted axis? That could account for up to 23 degrees of variation along an equator. The extra 7% and even distribution is just a gimme to simplify the game a little bit ;-)