Celestial Mechanics

Celestial mechanics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the motions of celestial objects, and many of these motions can be computed in real time, for past, present and future, using Wolfram|Alpha. These motions can be the result of the daily rotation of the Earth, the annual motion of the Earth around the Sun, the true motion of these objects with respect to each other or any combination of these motions. Celestial mechanics equations can be used to derive solutions to various problems using the concepts of orbital elements, mass and rotation period, among many other parameters.

Celestial Mechanics

Tackle problems in celestial mechanics by specifying formulas by name or by specifying known variables and parameters to solve for.

Compute the orbital period of a massive body orbiting another:

Kepler's third law, 4 solar masses, 5 Earth masses, 2.5 AU

Interactively compute the orbital speed of a body:

circular orbit speed

Visualize the relation between the eccentric and true anomaly:

mean anomaly 85 degrees eccentricity 0.6

Compute locations of Lagrange points:

Lagrange points Earth and Moon

Investigate the relationship between orbital distance and phase:

orbital radius with eccentricity 0.7 and semimajor axis 17.8 AU

Calculate the semi-major axis of an elliptical obit:

What is the semi major axis of an orbit with an apogee of 2000km and perigee of 275km?

関連する例

  • Astronomical Events
  • Astrophysics
  • Celestial Navigation
  • Star Charts