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Suppose that there are two bodies A and B in a vacuum with equal rest mass M and at a distance D apart. The universal law of gravitation states that, if each is at rest relative to the other, the acceleration of one towards the the other is $\frac{MG}{D^2}$ where $G$ is a constant depending only on the units of time, distance and mass employed in the calculation.

Suppose now that body A at time $T$ is still a distance $D$ from body B but that its velocity as observed by B is directly away from B and of scalar value $V$. Is there a formula for the acceleration of A as viewed by B in terms of $M$, $G$, $D$ and $V$?

Thomas Fritsch
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Kelly McKennon
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The rate of acceleration is independent of the rate of motion so this formula still applies even when the two objects are moving relative to each other. The only time you need to use a different formula is when you need to take general relativity into account such as when figuring out how Gravity bends light.

Anders Gustafson
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