The formation of the present configuration of three hot super-Earths in the\nplanet system HD 40307 is a challenge to dynamical astronomers. With the two\nsuccessive period ratios both near and slightly larger than 2, the system may\nhave evolved from pairwise 2:1 mean motion resonances (MM...
How do I calculate the sidereal period of planets when I'm not given the orbital period? I know the Earth has an orbital period of 365.25 days, but then we are only given the time between successive inferior conjunctions of Earth and another hypothetical planet (200 days), and the time ...
A few of the stars that make up that constellation can be blotted out with very little moonlight or street lighting. So the best way to find your way to Polaris, based on the experience of meteorologist and skywatcher Joe Rao, is to use the so-called "Pointer" stars. The stars, Dubhe...
Kepler's third law: An object's orbital period squared is equal to the cube of its semi-major axis. This can be represented by the equation {eq}p^2=a^3 {/eq}, where {eq}p {/eq} is the period of the planet's orbit, and {eq}a {/eq} is the planet's semi-major axis....
Use Kepler's Third Law to find its orbital period from its semi-major axis. The Law states that the square of the period is equal to the cube of the semi-major axis P2=a3 In order for the units to be correct, the semi-major axis should be in astronomical units, and the period sho...
NASA researchers have found that at 1 astronomical unit (AU), which is the distance from the sun to Earth, equal to 93 million miles (150 million km), sunlight can produce about 1.4 kilowatts (kw) of power. If you take 1.4 kw and divide it by the speed of light, you would find ...
By applying the algorithm to PLATO's discoveries, it should be able to narrow down the many thousands of systems to the few that have a higher chance of supporting an Earth-like planet, allowing astronomers to find them more quickly and efficiently. "This is a significant step in ...
That cost is often passed on to the consumer in the product's price. If "brand name" is important to your image, then buying a brand name is important. However, it is possible to find high-quality sunglasses that don't have a brand-name price. Shops like REI often sells store-brand...
The first factor to consider is a sidereal day, which is how long it takes Earth to complete a full rotation based on fixed stars. Since the orbital motion of our planet makes the Sun appear to move eastward relative to the stars, it has to rotate 361 degrees rather than just 360 degre...
Scientists don't know what these mysterious planets are made of NASA thinks space is teeming with planets that have gone rogue Cheops confirmed the orbital period of the third planet in the star system, the key to figuring out the pattern of the entire system. Credit: ESA Want more science...