The long way to the Moon (Orbital altitudes)

[alexc]

If you have trouble comprehending celestial distances, this image might help at least within the Earth-Moon system

Click on the image to get full scale version from Wikipedia.

[alexc]

By the way... Can somebody find a good place where they can make posters out of it?

[tristancho]

Any conference?
Joshua

[scasey]

Perhaps we can come up with the energy version of this curve and turn it into a poster?

It's not the distance that matters but the amount of energy required to get out of the earth's gravitational well that matters.

We could put the image on zazzle.com and sell the posters.

SC

[AndersFeder]

Perhaps we can come up with the energy version of this curve and turn it into a poster?

It's not the distance that matters but the amount of energy required to get out of the earth's gravitational well that matters.

We could put the image on zazzle.com and sell the posters.

SC

Hmm, sounds interesting - how would it look? Be extra long (per km of distance) near Earth, shorter as Earth's gravity diminish and the Moon's gravity take over (in the direction of travel), then a bit longer towards the end during EDL?

[alexc]

There is a delta-v chart on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta-v

[rocketman85]

Wonderful graphic.