ASTR170 Assignment 2

Q1. Kepler's laws of planetary motion.

1 - Planetary orbits are ellipses with the Sun at one of the foci.
2 - A line drawn from a planet to the sun will sweep out equal areas in equal times.
3 - P^2=a^3. The orbital period in years squared is proportional to the distance in au
cubed.
Q2.
F=GMm/r^2
Where:
F = Gravitational force in Newtons
G = Gravitational constant
M = mass 1
m = mass 2
r = distance between the centers of the two objects
If the mass of the Moon were to be reduced tenfold, the gravitational force would be
reduced tenfold as well. Using the universal gravity formula coupled with F=ma (or
more specifically, a=F/m), we can see that the ratio between force and mass hasn't
changed and the acceleration will remain the same. I calculated the acceleration of the
moon toward Earth due to gravity in both scenarios as 0.0027m/s^2.
On further algebraic analysis, I determined that: a=GM/r^2. Using this formula, it is
immediately obvious that the mass of the second body has no impact at all on
acceleration due to gravity.
Q3. The Moon's gravity causes a tidal bulge on the surface on the Earth. The bulge is
tiny relative to the diameter of the Earth, but it is enough to slightly alter the
gravitational profile of the planet. The rotation of the Earth is fast enough that this tidal
bulge is pulled forward of the Moon's orbit. The bulge's slightly higher gravitational
effect on the Moon is now serving to 'pull' the Moon slightly faster along its angular
course. As the Moon's angular speed increases, the gravitational acceleration required to
keep it in a circular orbit increases. Given that the force of Earth's gravity at the moon
will not change to account for that, the Moon slowly rises higher in its orbit.
Q4. The second postulate of special relativity states that the speed of light will be the
same in all reference frames, regardless of the motion of that frame relative to the light
source. In day-to-day experience, if I shoot an arrow forward from the roof of a moving
car, the velocity of the car will be added to that of my arrow, making the arrow travel
faster than if I had fired it from a stationary position. If I fire a light beam from the roof
of that car, it does not travel at c+(x Kph) where x is the speed of the car, It travels at c.
The speed of the car is not added to the speed of the light beam. The light will shift

slightly toward the blue end of the spectrum however, for anyone observing it
downrange.
Q5. The Earth precesses around the perpendicular to its orbit in a similar fashion to a
spinning top around its base. It can be imagined as the celestial poles sweeping out a
circle on the stars with a radius of 23.4 degrees. This is caused by the gravity of the Sun
and the Moon acting on Earth's equatorial bulge. A full rotation takes about 26000
years. In 13000 years the rotation will have moved the celestial poles roughly 180
degrees from their current position in the circle. This will mean that the seasons will be
completely reversed. In January, the southern hemisphere will face the Sun less directly
during the day than will the northern hemisphere.
Q6. Mercury always stays close to the Sun in the sky, never more than 28 degrees away.
This is due to its tiny orbit. Because our orbit is further out than Mercury's, we can
never pass between it and the sun, meaning that it will never be visible on our night
side. Only just before sunrise or just after sunset is it possible to see Mercury.
Q7. The Moon orbits close to the ecliptic. During winter, our axial tilt takes our
hemisphere further from the sun. The ecliptic will be close to the horizon during the day,
meaning that it will be high in the sky at midnight and that is where the full moon will
be found, high in the sky. During summer the opposite is true; our hemisphere faces the
Sun more directly and the ecliptic is therefore higher in the sky during the day. As such,
the full moon will be much lower in the sky during summer.