Dynamics in the solar system (Free Astronomy Public Lectures)

Presented by Assoc. Prof. Sarah Maddison on 20th October 2011.

The clockwork-like motion of the planets around the Sun is well understood thanks to Newton's universal law of gravitation. Using Newtonian physics and some simple mathematical equations, we can describe (and predict) the motion of a planet around the Sun. The solution to this "2-body problem" allows us to determine the location of an orbiting body at any time in the future. But when we add just one more body, the situation becomes a lot more complex. Our Solar System hosts a rich variety of dynamics, including the Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt, intricate structures in Saturn's rings, and the resonant orbits of Jupiter's Galilean satellites. In this talk we will discuss some of these interesting phenomena and how gravity shapes the Solar System.