Hitting a golf shot off the moon..

Could anybody let me know if it would be possible to hit a tee shot
from the surface of the moon (forget about space suits, just imagine
it was a normal golf shot), that would sent the golf ball into orbit?

In article ,
(Chris) wrote:

Could anybody let me know if it would be possible to hit a tee shot
from the surface of the moon (forget about space suits, just imagine
it was a normal golf shot), that would sent the golf ball into orbit?

No, or at least, not in the sense you probably mean. Even if you could
impart enough velocity to it (and I have no idea how hard that would be
to do), any orbit ultimately intersects the starting point. Since it
starts on the ground, that means it would intersect the ground.

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Chris wrote:
Could anybody let me know if it would be possible to hit a tee shot
from the surface of the moon (forget about space suits, just imagine
it was a normal golf shot), that would sent the golf ball into orbit?

Yes.
All you need is a swing that would drive the ball at about the same velocity
as the projectile from a M1A1 tank.

The range would be much logner than you would get on earth.
The best golfers can hit their balls at 90m/s (ow).
At 45 degrees, it would hit ground some 78 seconds later, a hair under
5Km away.

(this assumes that it is possible to hit a golfball as fast at a 45
degree angle as at the lower ones used on earth to fight air resistance.)

Good afternoon

Hail, Chris! We who are about to post salute you.

Could anybody let me know if it would be possible to hit a tee shot
from the surface of the moon (forget about space suits, just imagine
it was a normal golf shot), that would sent the golf ball into orbit?

Climb to the tallest peak. Tee up. Strike the ball *just so* so that it
travels horizontally off the tee at approximately 1.68 km/s. Please
replace your divot.


Vcir = sqrt(G*m/r)
G = 6.67e-11 N m^2 / kg^2
m = 7.35e22 kg
r = 1738 km


Take care,
cb

--
Christopher A. Bohn ____________|____________
http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~bohn/ ' ** ** " (o) " ** ** '
"If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that
we can solve them." - Isaac Asimov

What club were you thinking of using?

--
half_pint


"Chris" wrote in message
om...
Could anybody let me know if it would be possible to hit a tee shot
from the surface of the moon (forget about space suits, just imagine
it was a normal golf shot), that would sent the golf ball into orbit?

wha club were you thinking of using?

--
half_pint (repeated post)?

"Chris" wrote in message
om...
Could anybody let me know if it would be possible to hit a tee shot
from the surface of the moon (forget about space suits, just imagine
it was a normal golf shot), that would sent the golf ball into orbit?

Chris wrote:
Could anybody let me know if it would be possible to hit a tee shot
from the surface of the moon (forget about space suits, just imagine
it was a normal golf shot), that would sent the golf ball into orbit?

No. Any orbit it could be sent into would intersect with the moon.

The same's true of any orbital launch scheme where orbit is achieved by
simply applying a large initial impulse, like a big gun firing the golf
ball into orbit. You end up with an elliptical orbit which intersects the
point of launch, and need a burn somewhere along the way to circularize
it.

"Chris" wrote in message
om...
Could anybody let me know if it would be possible to hit a tee shot
from the surface of the moon (forget about space suits, just imagine
it was a normal golf shot), that would sent the golf ball into orbit?

It would not be possible for a human being to hit a golf ball from the
surface of the moon with enough energy to send it into orbit around
the moon.

In article , Chris
wrote:

Could anybody let me know if it would be possible to hit a tee shot
from the surface of the moon (forget about space suits, just imagine
it was a normal golf shot), that would sent the golf ball into orbit?

Not with any golf club sanctioned for tournament play.

Lunar escape velocity = 2.38 km/s, orbital velocity is sqrt(2) times
that = 1.68 km/s = 6000 km/h. This is fast by the standards of a golf
ball or a rifle bullet.

--
David M. Palmer (formerly @clark.net, @ematic.com)

On 22 Jul 2004 05:20:36 -0700
(Chris) wrote:

Could anybody let me know if it would be possible to hit a tee shot
from the surface of the moon (forget about space suits, just imagine
it was a normal golf shot), that would sent the golf ball into orbit?

Nope. Orbital velocity around the moon is about 1.5 km/s. I don't know how fast golf balls travel but I would be surprised if they exceed 100 m/s.

The other problem is that an initial impulse from the surface can not result in an orbit which does not intersect the surface. To achive orbit the golf ball would have to make a circularisation burn (or be whacked by another golf club) after the first half an orbit.
--
Michael Smith
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