Would a javelin fly further in a vacuum?

My current WIP involves an athletics competition on a non-terraformed moon, namely the Earth's moon. And while it would be a bit difficult to play certain sports without a breathable atmosphere, the javelin throw strikes me as an event that would be better enjoyed in the moon's 'fresh air' "“ or rather, lack of it. So, other than the additional challenge of wearing a space suit (and trying to make the damn thing land point first), I would expect an outdoor javelin throw on the moon, after accounting for other variables.

The only thing is: would it? I don't know if the air on Earth has the effect of reducing the length of a javelin throw through obvious frictional effects (as it would with a thrown stone or shot put) or increasing it by giving it something to glide on (as it would with a paper plane).

My hunch is that a realistic world record, after factoring in the other variables like restricted movement from wearing a space suit, would be somewhere in the 400-500 metre range for men, 300-400 metres for women, and 350-450 for eligible non-binary folks. (For comparison, the world records back on Earth currently stand at 98.48 and 72.28 metres for men and women respectively.) Are my guesses realistic?

posted over 5 years ago

Jynto‭

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