What is gravity? How can you measure gravity? We know that the Earth has gravity that keeps us and everything on the Earth from flying off into the atmosphere. In space, the effects of gravity aren't as obvious. Astronauts appear weightless because the pull of gravity is defeated by the movement of their spacecraft through space. You can feel a similar effect by swimming in water. Your body is less dense than water, so the pull of gravity is defeated by the water pushing up on your body. Scuba divers often talk of feeling "weightless" when they are swimming with air tanks. .

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