Several movies present in their plot some physical phenomena, mainly those of science fiction. However, it is not always possible to know to what extent those informations are correct. Thinking about that, we will present on Anzeb’s blog the analysis of some movies and we will explain what events can be considered as right or wrong.

The Hollywood success “Gravity” is the firt one chosen for this series. Launched in 2013, the movie was directed by Alfonso Cuarón and starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. The movie tells the tragedy of a doctor and an astronaut who, after being hit by debris drom a satellite detonated by a Russian missile, are drifting into space. Without contact with the NASA base, they try to find a solution for the situation in which they are.

Winner of 7 Oscars, the plot was a real success, and also drew attention of physicists and scientists who commented on some facts presented in the movie. Among them, Garrett Reisman, a former NASA astronaut who wrote a full article for Forbes magazine, and Neil deGrasse Tyson, one of the most renowned physicists on the planet, questioned some points via Twitter and Facebook.

Errors

Out ogf communication: the main problem that leads to the unfolding of the story of Gravity is the fact the pair is out of contact with the NASA base on Earth. However, according to scientists, this would never happen in real life just 230 miles away from the Earth. Satellite communication orbits up to 100 times longer.

Mobility: another mistake in the movie, which can be considered serious, is about some serious violations of physics, with respect to gravity itself. It is not possible to jump from one spacecraft or space station to another with the ease shown on the movie. It takes a lot of energy, escpecially considering that there is a difference of at least 180 kilometers per hour between the orbits.

Gravity: talking about gravity, some details went unnoticed by the movie prodction. For example, Sandra Bullock’s hair did not float on this head, even in clear scenes of zero gravity. Or when Clooney released the handle of Bullock and, with that, he moved way of her. In fact, in a zero-gravity environment, a small tug was enough to bring them closer together.

Astronaut clothes: although space suits are very well represented, the problem ith astronaut clothing appears in the scene where Sandra Bullock would be wearing only a shirt and shorts under the special suit. It is important to wear a special cothing with a set of coolants that help maintain body tempeture, because outside can be very hot or very cold. In addition, it is necessary to wear a suit that helps to squeeze the blood from arms and legs, otherwise there will not be enough bloog fro the head and internal organs.

Accomplishments

Not only of errors was produced the movie Gravity, in fact there are very important points that were praised in the movie. The main one is the way they represented the space’s environment of space, including the Polar Aurora, the thickness of Earth’s atmosphere in relation to the planet, the sound, the starry night and especially the space walking, mainly when the difficulties in physics here on Earth are shown.

Another well-represented point is the existance of the disintegrated satellite track, which actually exists, and even many of the space remains are reminiscent of the tragedy with the Columbia space shuttle in 2003. In addition, if these wrecks collide at na orbital velocity, the represented speed is also real. Another important detail is, at the time depicted, the orbital time for objects is, in fact, 90 minutes.

So, did you like to discover the aspects that can be considered true or not in the movie Gravity? Follow our blog and check out other movie reviews and tips.