Open AccessPluto’s Resonant Orbit Visualized in 4D
Author(s) -
N. Zaveri,
Renu Malhotra
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
research notes of the aas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2515-5172
DOI - 10.3847/2515-5172/ac3086
Subject(s) - pluto , angular momentum , physics , neptune , orbital motion , orbital mechanics , dynamics (music) , orbit (dynamics) , astronomy , planet , computer science , classical mechanics , aerospace engineering , engineering , acoustics , satellite
Orbital resonance phenomena are notoriously difficult to communicate in words due to the complex dynamics arising from the interplay of gravity and orbital angular momentum. A well known example is Pluto’s 3:2 mean motion resonance with Neptune. We have developed a python software tool to visualize the full three-dimensional aspects of Pluto’s resonant orbital dynamics over time. The visualizations include still images and animated movies. By contrasting Pluto’s resonant dynamics with the dynamics of a nearby non-resonant orbit, this tool enables better understanding and exploration of complex planetary dynamics phenomena.