Numerical Values
The absolute value of gravitational potential at a number of locations with regards to the gravitation from the Earth, the Sun, and the Milky Way is given in the following table; i.e. an object at Earth's surface would need 60 MJ/kg to "leave" Earth's gravity field, another 900 MJ/kg to also leave the Sun's gravity field and more than 130 GJ/kg to leave the gravity field of the Milky Way. The potential is half the square of the escape velocity.
| Location | W.r.t. Earth | W.r.t. Sun | W.r.t. Milky Way |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth's surface | 60 MJ/kg | 900 MJ/kg | ≥ 130 GJ/kg |
| LEO | 57 MJ/kg | 900 MJ/kg | ≥ 130 GJ/kg |
| Voyager 1 (17,000 million km from Earth) | 23 J/kg | 8 MJ/kg | ≥ 130 GJ/kg |
| 0.1 light-year from Earth | 0.4 J/kg | 140 kJ/kg | ≥ 130 GJ/kg |
Compare the gravity at these locations.
Read more about this topic: Gravitational Potential
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