No, they both rotate or neither one rotates. They are equal, so the same rotation must be assumed. Their initial places are different and any difference only comes from that fact.
If both rotate (I assume the same angular velocity) , what can be said about the direction of their axes of rotation?
Another idea: Gurl ner zntargvp, pybfr rabhtu gung gurl nggenpg gurzfryirf, fgvpx gbtrgure naq gur ubevmbagny nflzrgel pnhfrf gur bowrpgf gb ghzoyr naq gur uvture bar pbzrf qbja svefg.
Two giant golden balls, dropped somewhere bellow the geosynchronous orbit might do the trick of a little orbiting around each other and then splashing into the ocean, one after another.
That might cause some damage, but the Earth would survive as a planet. Rather costly and not environment friendly solution.
Or two ordinary small balls, one dropped from just above the geosynchronous orbit, the second one from far above the orbit. While the first one slowly drifts away to the space, the second shoots away, makes a complete (retrograde) orbit around Sun and splashes into the Atlantic while the first ball is still drifting...
This is true, but those Moon or Sun solutions aren’t my favorite. Moon, Sun, Jupiter and so on are external agents I’ve forgotten to explicitly forbid. Next time, I’ll be even more careful when posting a problem. :-)
No, they both rotate or neither one rotates. They are equal, so the same rotation must be assumed. Their initial places are different and any difference only comes from that fact.
Still, an interesting suggestion.
If both rotate (I assume the same angular velocity) , what can be said about the direction of their axes of rotation?
Another idea: Gurl ner zntargvp, pybfr rabhtu gung gurl nggenpg gurzfryirf, fgvpx gbtrgure naq gur ubevmbagny nflzrgel pnhfrf gur bowrpgf gb ghzoyr naq gur uvture bar pbzrf qbja svefg.
This one does not need air-breaking. I like it!
But instead of magnetism, the gravity may work even better. Two massive objects with non-negligible gravity between themselves.
That’s my favorite idea.
If their gravity is significant enough, then it is incorrect to describe that they splash into the Atlantic—it’s the Atlantic that splashes into them.
I’d prefer solutions that do not destroy the Earth :-)
Two giant golden balls, dropped somewhere bellow the geosynchronous orbit might do the trick of a little orbiting around each other and then splashing into the ocean, one after another.
That might cause some damage, but the Earth would survive as a planet. Rather costly and not environment friendly solution.
What do you mean “costly”, we end up with two giant golden balls :-D
Or two ordinary small balls, one dropped from just above the geosynchronous orbit, the second one from far above the orbit. While the first one slowly drifts away to the space, the second shoots away, makes a complete (retrograde) orbit around Sun and splashes into the Atlantic while the first ball is still drifting...
Requires some careful timing, though.
This is true, but those Moon or Sun solutions aren’t my favorite. Moon, Sun, Jupiter and so on are external agents I’ve forgotten to explicitly forbid. Next time, I’ll be even more careful when posting a problem. :-)