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The Orrery: Computer Models of Astronomical Systems
Hardbound, 6 by 9 inches, 328 pages,
133 Illustrations
Includes IBM PC BASIC Code & .EXE files on CDROM
Available Now
$29.95
The Orrery:
Computer Models of Astronomical Systems, Caxton C. Foster editor.
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About
This Book:
An orrery is a mechanical device designed to
demonstrate the rotation and orbital motion of the earth, and the orbital
motion of the moon and the planets. The device was given the name orrery by its
inventor, John Rowley, as a gesture of gratitude to the nobleman who employed
himCharles Boyle, the fourth Earl of Orrery (16761731).This book tells you how
to exploit the power of the computer to model dozens of astronomical systems.
Written in a conversational mode, it includes both the formulae and source
code, in BASIC, (on disk) and executable files so you do not need a BASIC
complier or runtime program to execute the programs. Subjects include: Simple
Harmonic Motion, The Doppler Effect, Non-Spherical Masses in Orbit, Trojan
Stability, Orbital Resonances, Ovendens Principle, Size Distributions of the
Minor Planets, Global Positioning System, Gravitational Lenses, Harmonies Among
the Stars, An Animated Analemma, Stability Zones, Solar Sailing, The Heliogyro,
Build ing a Galaxy, Moon Phases, plus much, much more...
Table of
Contents
Foreword
Introduction
1 Matters Mathematical
1.1
Numerical Integration
1.2 Numerical Solution of an IVP
1.3
Application of The Runge-Kutta Method to Orbit Calculation
1.4 Centrifugal
Force Concentration Point for a Sphere
1.5 Weighing Planets
1.6 Three
Quickies
1.7 Simple Harmonic Motion
1.8 Furlongs per Fortnight
1.9
Small Angles
1.10 A Primer on Resolution
1.11 The Doppler Effect
2
Two Body Dynamics
2.1 Johannes Kepler
2.2 Johannes Kepler II
2.3
Johannes Kepler III
2.4 How the World WorksKeplers Third Law
2.5 More
Kepler
2.6 Non-Spherical Masses in Orbit
2.7 Mars Global Surveyor
3
Three at a Time
3.1 The General Three-Body Problem in Two Dimensions
3.2 Jack Goes to Denmark
3.3 Trojan Stability
3.4 Lagranges Other
Points
3.5 Jacobi
3.6 Roches Limit
4 Wandering Around
4.1
Circulation and Libration
4.2 The Flirtatious Kidney Bean
4.3 Some
Experiments with Satellites
4.4 Back is Beautiful
5 Resonance
5.1
The Magic Roundabout
5.2 That Resonates With Me
5.3 Orbital
Resonances
5.4 The Influence of Jupiter
5.5 Planetary Rhythms
6
Shaping the Solar System
6.1 Spaced Out
6.2 Ovendens Principle
6.3
Bode versus Kepler
6.4 Jupiter and his Consorts
6.5 A Substitute for
Bodes Law
6.6 The Spacing of the Planets
6.7 Real Men Dont Eat
Quiche
6.8 Tisserands Criterion
6.9 A Model of the Solar System
7
Asteroids
7.1 Asteroids and Our Solar System Model
7.2 Size
Distributions of the Minor Planets
7.3 An Amazing Coincidence
8 The
Earth
8.1 The Gaian Hypothesis
8.2 Location, Location, Location
8.3
Albedo: Planetary I
8.4 The Earths Pulse Beat
8.5 Global Positioning
System
8.6 More GPS
8.7 When the Apricots in Bloom along the
Yangtze
8.8 Thermal Inertia
8.9 Global Warming?
9 Relativity
9.1 The Twin Paradox
9.2 Relativistic Contraction
9.3 Gravitational
Lenses
9.4 FTL
9.5 From Here to There and Back Again
9.6
Transluminal Motion
9.7 Relativistic Precession
9.8 Example: A Highly
Relativistic Orbit
10 Planetary Aspects
10.1 Harmonies Among the
Stars
10.2 We Gather Together
10.3 Find That Planet
10.4
Heliocentric Longitudes
10.5 Sun Plot
10.6 Whats Up, Doc?
10.7
Fortune Cookies in the Sky
11 Sundials, Calendars and Clocks
11.1
Gnomonics for Sundials
11.2 An Animated Analemma
11.3 An Analemma
Sundial
11.4 Big Hand
11.5 Calendar Maker
11.6 Meton and the Great
Year
11.7 The Equation of Time
11.8 Day of the Week
11.9 Happy
Hogmanay
11.10 Stonehenge
12 Roemer and the Speed of Light
12.1
Introduction
12.2 Adding it All Up
12.3 Roemerin in the Gloamin
12.4 Roemerian First Year Results
13 Other Solar Systems
13.1 Stability
Zones
13.2 Acrete2
13.3 Cuddle Up a Little Closer
13.4 Planets in
the Alpha Centauri System
13.5 Habitable Planets
13.6 Bodes Law
13.7 Exotic LocalesThe Pup
13.8 Exotic LocalesM13
13.9 Exotic
LocalesDelta Cephei
13.10 Lying Down on the Job
14 Getting Around the
Solar System
14.1 To Spin, or not to Spin
14.2 A Multistage Rocket
14.3 Moon Flight
14.4 Oh, No! Not Another Lunar Lander!
14.5 Solar
Sailing
14.6 The Heliogyro
14.7 Tracking the NEAR Launch
15 Beyond
the Solar System
15.1 Build a Galaxy
15.2 Polar Ellipses
15.3 Small
Clusters
15.4 My Life and Hard Times
15.5 The Distribution of Visual
Magnitudes
15.6 Dark Matter
15.7 Whos a Square?
16 Moons
16.1
As the Worlds Turn
16.2 Phobos
16.3 Moon Phase
16.4 Co-orbiting
Moons
16.5 Ooops!
16.6 Evolution of a Fractured Moon
16.7 Perhaps,
if You Went on a Diet
16.8 Apogee
16.9 Hawkins and the Saros
16.10
Tides and the Triple Goddess
16.11 Why do You Need a Third Body?
Appendix A Disk Content
Appendix B The Orrery Newsletter
References
Contributors 311
Index 313