All Questions
Tagged with celestial-mechanics planets
10
questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
3
votes
3
answers
183
views
Why do the planets tend to spin in the same direction as they orbit the center sun?
I mean, why do the spin angular momentum and the orbit angular momentum of a planet tend to have the same direction?
As we all know, a planetesimal $m$ orbiting a sun with mass $M_{sun}$ at $r$ will ...
- 309
2
votes
0
answers
850
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For two planets in a 2:1 mean motion resonance , where will their periastron and apastron points be?
I want to animate the changing orbits of planets when they enter a mean motion resonance. Using a 2:1 resonance, I want to show a low-mass inner planet and a low-mass outer planet being tugged by a ...
- 21
1
vote
0
answers
47
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Does the Lagrange Point $L_3$ exist in practice in the multi-body solar system?
Lagrange Points ($L_1$ through $L_5$) in a restricted 3-body system are well documented. Traditionally body 1 (M1) is the central object with a mass much greater than the other two objects. M2 is ...
- 111
1
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0
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189
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How is the precession rate of planets calculated? For which planets do we know the precession rates?
From what I've read, precession rates of Earth, Mars and Moon are known. Why is that?
And how is it calculated?
1
vote
1
answer
110
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Would a celestial body in a horseshoe orbit be tidally locked to the planet?
A smaller celestial body like a moon or an asteroid can be in a horseshoe orbit around a planet.
Since it might go inside the tidal lock radius (but does not stay inside it all the time), during the ...
0
votes
0
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505
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Does the formula $v = \sqrt{GM/r}$ work for elliptical planetary orbits?
Suppose we have a central mass $M$ and a smaller mass $m$ orbiting around the central mass in an ellipse:
The other point is the other focus. We know that elliptical orbits have the central mass in ...
0
votes
1
answer
124
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Lorenz System in reference to Astrophysics / Planetary orbits
From my research I have found that there are a system of ordinary differential equations for atmospheric convection.
What I am seeking are any Lorenz equations that apply to any areas of Astrophysics ...
- 19
0
votes
1
answer
57
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Ever looming shadow
If I'm not mistaken the reason the moon eclipses the sun is because the ratio of distance to size, in regards to the moon and sun, is 1:1. And is it not also true that the reason we only ever see one ...
0
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0
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31
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Could a 'pulsar-like' planet exist due to the following properties?
A planet has been discovered with a composition believed to be made up of diamond. If such a planet were to host a massive satellite of high eccentricity, it seems possible that the large tidal forces ...
- 487
-1
votes
1
answer
285
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Where does the radial velocity component come from?
Any object under the influence of a central force will have two components of velocities: Radial and rotational
I understand that the rotational velocity is there due to the centripetal force.
But ...
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