Gravity well

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Drawn approximation of a Gravity well

A gravity well is a distortion of the space-time continuum, caused by an object with mass, which can be conceptualized on a two-dimensional surface as a depression: the "well".
The curvature of the well corresponds to its gravity levels.


It is possible that while a planet may be found inside a rift that has the properties of a gravity well, the gravity on the planet's surface may be similar to Earth's.



Examples:


  • A Dyson sphere has an immense gravity well, not least due to the star at its center but the mass of the structure itself.
    As no radiant sunlight light or solar wind can escape from the sphere, starships are not able to detect the sphere until they are almost on top of it.