Orbits

Stealth · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 4:57 pm Post subject: Orbits

So like, for no reason at all, I started thinking about space.

Supposedly, the universe was created in a disk like fashion. But then I thought about it and wondered, there are probably planets that can have a very strange orbit.

I'm wondering if there's a planet that can orbit around two stars and forms a figure eight like orbit. Given these stars would have to have approximately the same gravitational pull. The stars would need to be spaced out far enough that where the planet intersects between the two, it will break and follow the other star.

A interesting thought indeed. Any more strange fucked up orbits that might hypothetically exist?
_________________
Motherfucking Triangles! Being all three sided n' shit, who do they think they are?!

Erwin Rommel · Posted: Sat Mar 10, 2012 6:45 pm Post subject:

This would be complicated given the fact that the stars would be orbiting each other as well. So this comes down to a three-body problem, which are notoriously hard.

It should be possible for such an orbit to exist around two fixed bodies, though. It would be really unstable, however. A passing body nudge the planet just a little bit and the might knock it out of that orbit.
_________________
-=|CT|=-Descartes

Messy Recipe · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 7:39 pm Post subject:

If the two bodies were fixed I can imagine two things happening -- either the forces balance out between them and it just flies off in a straight line away from them, or the momentum as it comes around from one does carry it over into the figure eight pattern.

That's assuming circular orbits in the first case of course...it'd probably get really weird with elliptical ones, since orbiting bodies move slower at the further-out points of their orbit (i.e. between F and G here):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Angular_Parameters_of_Elliptical_Orbit.png

RE: Other fucked up orbits, scroll through the presets on this site until you find "Four star ballet" and run that...it looks really cool if you turn off the traces, but they do help show what's actually going on:

http://phet.colorado.edu/sims/my-solar-system/my-solar-system_en.html

That's possible because bodies actually orbit their common center of gravity (which is why even the sun wobbles around a bit, just the solar system's center of gravity is within the sun). In the four-star ballet you've got four equally-spaced, equal-mass bodies doing ellipses around their centerpoint.

The simulation's inaccuracies will make it eventually fuck up and wreck everything though...
_________________

ABC News wrote:

Birds can disable planes, Ostrom said, by flying into the engines and shutting them down.

Erwin Rommel · Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2012 9:07 pm Post subject:

lol @ four star ballet.

That orbit is REALLY unstable. Just change the starting positions by a tiny amount and see.
_________________
-=|CT|=-Descartes

xsupermage · Posted: Tue Apr 22, 2025 10:32 am Post subject:

audiobookkeeper.rucottagenet.rueyesvision.rueyesvisions.comfactoringfee.rufilmzones.rugadwall.rugaffertape.rugageboard.rugagrule.rugallduct.rugalvanometric.rugangforeman.rugangwayplatform.rugarbagechute.rugardeningleave.rugascautery.rugashbucket.rugasreturn.rugatedsweep.rugaugemodel.rugaussianfilter.rugearpitchdiameter.ru
geartreating.rugeneralizedanalysis.rugeneralprovisions.rugeophysicalprobe.rugeriatricnurse.rugetintoaflap.rugetthebounce.ruhabeascorpus.ruhabituate.ruhackedbolt.ruhackworker.ruhadronicannihilation.ruhaemagglutinin.ruhailsquall.ruhairysphere.ruhalforderfringe.ruhalfsiblings.ruhallofresidence.ruhaltstate.ruhandcoding.ruhandportedhead.ruhandradar.ruhandsfreetelephone.ru
hangonpart.ruhaphazardwinding.ruhardalloyteeth.ruhardasiron.ruhardenedconcrete.ruharmonicinteraction.ruhartlaubgoose.ruhatchholddown.ruhaveafinetime.ruhazardousatmosphere.ruheadregulator.ruheartofgold.ruheatageingresistance.ruheatinggas.ruheavydutymetalcutting.rujacketedwall.rujapanesecedar.rujibtypecrane.rujobabandonment.rujobstress.rujogformation.rujointcapsule.rujointsealingmaterial.ru
journallubricator.rujuicecatcher.rujunctionofchannels.rujusticiablehomicide.rujuxtapositiontwin.rukaposidisease.rukeepagoodoffing.rukeepsmthinhand.rukentishglory.rukerbweight.rukerrrotation.rukeymanassurance.rukeyserum.rukickplate.rukillthefattedcalf.rukilowattsecond.rukingweakfish.rukinozones.rukleinbottle.rukneejoint.ruknifesethouse.ruknockonatom.ruknowledgestate.ru
kondoferromagnet.rulabeledgraph.rulaborracket.rulabourearnings.rulabourleasing.rulaburnumtree.rulacingcourse.rulacrimalpoint.rulactogenicfactor.rulacunarycoefficient.ruladletreatediron.rulaggingload.rulaissezaller.rulambdatransition.rulaminatedmaterial.rulammasshoot.rulamphouse.rulancecorporal.rulancingdie.rulandingdoor.rulandmarksensor.rulandreform.rulanduseratio.ru
languagelaboratory.rulargeheart.rulasercalibration.rulaserlens.rulaserpulse.rulaterevent.rulatrinesergeant.rulayabout.ruleadcoating.ruleadingfirm.rulearningcurve.ruleaveword.rumachinesensible.rumagneticequator.rumagnetotelluricfield.rumailinghouse.rumajorconcern.rumammasdarling.rumanagerialstaff.rumanipulatinghand.rumanualchoke.rumedinfobooks.rump3lists.ru
nameresolution.runaphtheneseries.runarrowmouthed.runationalcensus.runaturalfunctor.runavelseed.runeatplaster.runecroticcaries.runegativefibration.runeighbouringrights.ruobjectmodule.ruobservationballoon.ruobstructivepatent.ruoceanmining.ruoctupolephonon.ruofflinesystem.ruoffsetholder.ruolibanumresinoid.ruonesticket.rupackedspheres.rupagingterminal.rupalatinebones.rupalmberry.ru
papercoating.ruparaconvexgroup.ruparasolmonoplane.ruparkingbrake.rupartfamily.rupartialmajorant.ruquadrupleworm.ruqualitybooster.ruquasimoney.ruquenchedspark.ruquodrecuperet.rurabbetledge.ruradialchaser.ruradiationestimator.rurailwaybridge.rurandomcoloration.rurapidgrowth.rurattlesnakemaster.rureachthroughregion.rureadingmagnifier.rurearchain.rurecessioncone.rurecordedassignment.ru
rectifiersubstation.ruredemptionvalue.rureducingflange.rureferenceantigen.ruregeneratedprotein.rureinvestmentplan.rusafedrilling.rusagprofile.rusalestypelease.rusamplinginterval.rusatellitehydrology.ruscarcecommodity.ruscrapermat.ruscrewingunit.ruseawaterpump.rusecondaryblock.rusecularclergy.ruseismicefficiency.ruselectivediffuser.rusemiasphalticflux.rusemifinishmachining.ruspicetrade.ruspysale.ru
stungun.rutacticaldiameter.rutailstockcenter.rutamecurve.rutapecorrection.rutappingchuck.rutaskreasoning.rutechnicalgrade.rutelangiectaticlipoma.rutelescopicdamper.rutemperateclimate.rutemperedmeasure.rutenementbuilding.rutuchkasultramaficrock.ruultraviolettesting.ru