How long to fly around the earth at the equator?

Answer 1

To determine the walking speed of a man on Mercury, we need to consider what apparatus and attire will be encumbering him or her, and also the effect of reduced gravity.

Of course, it would be impossible for our walker to carry all of the oxygen required for such an operation (let alone food supplies), so we will have to assume the existence of a support vehicle or vehicles capable of regularly resupplying the walker with oxygen tanks and supplies. Even then, we must assume our walker is at all times considerably encumbered by breathing apparatus. But given that in the future, oxygen tanks might be composed of very lightweight materials, let us say that this encumbrance imposes on average only a 5% penalty to walking speed.

A pressure suit will further encumber the intrepid explorer, though we might allow that advances in materials technology between the present day and the early colonisation of Mercury could all but eliminate this as a factor, so let us suppose that attire imposes only a further 5% penalty to walking speed.

Walking speed is thought to vary as the square root of g (the acceleration due to gravity), which in the case of Mercury results in a walking speed of 0.605 times the walking speed on Earth.

Taking all three factors into account, we obtain an estimate that the typical walking speed of our astronaut will be 0.546 times their typical unencumbered walking speed on Earth.

We can suppose that the individual is both reasonably tall and extremely fit, from which we could suppose an Earthbound typical walking speed of 6.5 kph (greater walking speeds are of course attainable but are unlikely to be sustainable), and multiplying our two figures results in a sustainable walking speed on Mercury of 3.55 kph.

Whilst the number of hours per Earth Day at which such a walking rate could be sustained over a very long period is debatable, given that the surface of Mercury is hardly an ideal hiking environment it seems reasonable to limit our walker to 12 hours walking per Earth day.

This results in a typical progress of 42.6 kilometres per Earth day, and taking the circumference of Mercury to be 15,329 km, we arrive at a figure of just under 360 Earth days for a circumnavigation.

Of course, such an endeavour would be entirely impossible unless the walker was able to walk fast enough to follow the Mercurial twilight, since daytime temperatures are enormously too hot for human existence, and night-time temperatures enormously too cold.

Since the the Mercurial day lasts approximately 176 Earth days, we must conclude that the endeavour is sadly impossible, the walker's speed being less than half of that required to avoid freezing or burning to death within days.

Answer 2

This formula should yield an answer:=Earth's equatorial circumference, 40,075.02 kilometers, is divided by the average human walking speed, 4 km/hr, yielding 10018.755 hours, or 417 days, 10 hours, and 45 minutes. Of course, this would be if the walker never rested and did not have to deal with terrain or any course/velocity changes.=

Answer 3

The distance all the way around the equator is about 40,030 kilometers (24,874 miles).

In order to actually make the trip, you would have to do a lot more swimming

than walking.

To see just how much of each, spend some time with a map or a globe. It's

a fascinating experience. The answer given above is perfectly correct. Interesting to note that the equator is not truly circular, the earth is flattened at the north and south poles.

According to IAU and WGS-84 standards, the equator is 40075km, or 24901 miles around.

Answer 4

depends how fast you fly.

Modern commercial airliners fly at aprox 550 mph at cruising altitude.

The circumference of the earth is given as 24901.55 miles so the result is 45.27554hrs if it could be done continuosly.

This of course does include all the time wasted at the airport

Answer 5

The Equator measures 40,075 km. in length.

Answer 6

13489764 miles