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We describe a geometrical method for tracing a planet's orbit using its velocity hodograph, that is, the path of the planet's velocity. The method requires only a straight edge, a compass, and the help of the hodograph. We also obtain…
Planetary orbits, being conic sections, may be obtained as the locus of intersection of planes and cones. The planes involved are familiar to anyone who has studied the classical Kepler problem. We focus here on the cones.
In this paper, we describe a very simple method to calculate the positions of the planets in the sky. The technique used enables us to calculate planetary positions to an accuracy of $\stackrel{<}{_{\sim}} 1^{\circ}$ for $\pm 50$ years from…
We present a procedure for determination of positions and orbital elements, and associated uncertainties, of outer Solar System planets. The orbit-fitting procedure is greatly streamlined compared to traditional methods because acceleration…
In this article, we describe a very simple technique to locate naked-eye planets in the sky, to an accuracy of $\sim 1^{\circ}$. The procedure, comprising just three steps, involves very simple manual calculations for planetary orbits…
Radio wavelength astrometry of stars and other objects has a long and productive history. The use of that technique to determine whether stars have planets around them would cover a nearly unique part of the parameter space for detection of…
The first integrals of the Kepler problem are used to compute preliminary orbits starting from two short observed arcs of a celestial body, which may be obtained either by optical or radar observations. We write polynomial equations for…
Large astronomical objects such as stars or planets, produce approximately spherical shapes due to the large gravitational forces, and if the object is rotating rapidly, it becomes an oblate spheroid. In juxtaposition to this, we conduct a…
Numerous telescopes and techniques have been used to find and study extrasolar planets, but none has been more successful than NASA's Kepler Space Telescope. Kepler has discovered the majority of known exoplanets, the smallest planets to…
It is believed that some numerical technique must be employed for the determination of the system parameters of a visual binary or a star with a planet because the relevant equations are not only highly nonlinear but also transcendental…
We investigate a method to compute a finite set of preliminary orbits for solar system bodies using the first integrals of the Kepler problem. This method is thought for the applications to the modern sets of astrometric observations, where…
We develop a direct geometric method to determine the orbital parameters and mass of a planet, and we then apply the method to Neptune using high-precision data for the other planets in the solar system. The method is direct in the sense…
The traditional perturbative method is applied to the case of gravitational lensing of planetary systems. A complete and detailed description of the structure of caustics for a system with an arbitrary number of planets can be obtained. I…
Although not designed as an astrometric instrument, Kepler is expected to produce astrometric results of a quality appropriate to support many of the astrophysical investigations enabled by its photometric results. On the basis of data…
Are there other planetary systems in our Universe? Indirect evidence has been found for planets orbiting other stars in our galaxy: the gravity of orbiting planets makes the star wobble, and the resulting periodic Doppler shifts have been…
The traditional way of estimating the gravitational field from observed motions of test objects is based on the virial relation between their kinetic and potential energy. We find a more efficient method. It is based on the natural…
The discovery of habitable exoplanets has long been a heated topic in astronomy. Traditional methods for exoplanet identification include the wobble method, direct imaging, gravitational microlensing, etc., which not only require a…
Asteroseismology of solar-type stars has an important part to play in the exoplanet program of the NASA Kepler Mission. Precise and accurate inferences on the stellar properties that are made possible by the seismic data allow very tight…
Kepler's laws of planetary motion are acknowledged as highly significant to the construction of universal gravitation. The present study demonstrates different ways to derive the law of equal areas for the Earth by general geometrical and…
Experience in exploring our own solar system has shown that direct investigation of planetary bodies using space probes invariably yields scientific knowledge not otherwise obtainable. In the case of exoplanets, such direct investigation…