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victorhugo
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How R^3/T^2 is a constant, or is it just the simple relationship between the distance between a planet to a star in a solar system and the period for that planet to orbit the star?
I found wikipedia's explanation quite satisfying. The relation holds for all forces that quadratically decline with distance and small masses compared to the central sun's mass.victorhugo said:How R^3/T^2 is a constant, or is it just the simple relationship between the distance between a planet to a star in a solar system and the period for that planet to orbit the star?
Kepler's Third Law, also known as the "Harmonic Law", states that the square of a planet's orbital period is directly proportional to the cube of its semi-major axis. In simpler terms, it describes the relationship between a planet's distance from the sun and the time it takes to orbit around it.
Kepler's Third Law is important because it helped to establish the modern understanding of planetary motion and the laws of gravity. It also paved the way for later developments in astronomy and space exploration.
Kepler discovered his Third Law by analyzing the data collected by astronomer Tycho Brahe. He noticed that the ratio between a planet's orbital period and its distance from the sun was the same for all planets. This led him to formulate the Third Law.
Yes, Kepler's Third Law can be applied to other celestial objects, such as moons orbiting planets or satellites orbiting a star. It can also be used to calculate the orbital period of comets or asteroids.
Kepler's Third Law has practical applications in fields such as satellite communication and navigation. It is also used in space missions to calculate the trajectory and timing of spacecraft, and in the study of exoplanets to determine their orbital characteristics.