3 in 1
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Topic authorPlutonianEmpire
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3 in 1
Can 3 terrestrial planets of equal sizes and masses all share the exact same orbit (in distance from the sun, that is), and still be in stable orbit?
Terraformed Pluto: Now with New Horizons maps! :D
My gut feeling says probably yes and no.
lol, now that answer helps a lot, doesn't it?
Okay now to the things i think that system would need.
The planets would have to be equidistantly spaced and the influence of the celestial bodys in the system either very weak or being equally distributed to all 3 Earths.
Best would be if the Earths are in a perfect round orbit.
If this is the case the system should be stable forever.
If the planets are not equidisant from the beginning and/or the gravitational forces of the other celestial bodys stronger. Then the system would probably be stable for some time, but then tend to break up.
But I don't think that in nature you would be likely to find such a system, since it would be against the odds, that three gravitational wells form in the same orbit and gather the same mass to form 3 planets equidistantly apart.
I think the system would be wrecked before it could be formed. You would probably end up with one very large planet and some moons around it.
But this are only guesses and thoughts of a non-astro-phycist.
Regards,
Guckytos.
lol, now that answer helps a lot, doesn't it?
Okay now to the things i think that system would need.
The planets would have to be equidistantly spaced and the influence of the celestial bodys in the system either very weak or being equally distributed to all 3 Earths.
Best would be if the Earths are in a perfect round orbit.
If this is the case the system should be stable forever.
If the planets are not equidisant from the beginning and/or the gravitational forces of the other celestial bodys stronger. Then the system would probably be stable for some time, but then tend to break up.
But I don't think that in nature you would be likely to find such a system, since it would be against the odds, that three gravitational wells form in the same orbit and gather the same mass to form 3 planets equidistantly apart.
I think the system would be wrecked before it could be formed. You would probably end up with one very large planet and some moons around it.
But this are only guesses and thoughts of a non-astro-phycist.
Regards,
Guckytos.
http://burtleburtle.net/bob/physics/kempler.html
(Do a search for Klemperer rosettes in your search engine of choice.
)
d.m.f.
(Do a search for Klemperer rosettes in your search engine of choice.
)
d.m.f.
There IS such a thing as a stupid question, but it's not the question first asked. It's the question repeated when the answer has already been given. -d.m.f.
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eburacum45
- Posts: 691
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Here are a couple of Klemperer rosettes I have made for Orion's Arm;
note that the link provided by d.m.falk suggests that rosettes of 12 to 24 planets are comparatively stable.
A description (not by me) of the history of these worlds can be found here
http://www.orionsarm.com/worlds/Ao_Lai.html
note that the link provided by d.m.falk suggests that rosettes of 12 to 24 planets are comparatively stable.
A description (not by me) of the history of these worlds can be found here
http://www.orionsarm.com/worlds/Ao_Lai.html
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Topic authorPlutonianEmpire
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kikinho
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- With us: 20 years 7 months
- Location: Eden, a planet in Etheral Universe
I'm doing a new system called Miriad. This system has 18 planets orbiting the same distance to the star. They have near same mass and size. The smallest have 5582 and the bigger have 7385 radius. Or do all planets should've exact same mass and size to be stable?
One day we will swim in the subsurface ocean of Europa and take shower in ethane lakes of Titan.
Presumably a Klemperer rosette would have to be constructed, as they aren't stable to perturbing forces, and then you'd have to maintain it against instability. (Though if you have the resources to build such a system, maintaining it would presumably be well within your capabilities)
They are only "stable" if the masses are the same, or the masses are distributed symmetrically.
E.g.
You could have two sets of bodies in the rosette, members of one set have mass M, the others have mass m. The Klemperer rosette works if the masses are arranged going around the rosette as M,m,M,m,M,m,...
AFAIK only the mass is relevant, size doesn't matter.
They are only "stable" if the masses are the same, or the masses are distributed symmetrically.
E.g.
You could have two sets of bodies in the rosette, members of one set have mass M, the others have mass m. The Klemperer rosette works if the masses are arranged going around the rosette as M,m,M,m,M,m,...
AFAIK only the mass is relevant, size doesn't matter.