How do I put multiple objects in the same orbit?

[Matlaf]

Well i am a newbie but so far i was alright.

Now i have a problem that i want to create a star system of my own.
In this system i want to place 2 or more planets into the same orbit. Like in this old SciFi novells where another earth orbits, at the same orbit, behind the sun.
Now i don't have figured out how i could possibly do that. Especially placing the planets at excactly the positions i want them.
Because i was also thinking about putting perhaps more than 2 in an orbit

Any ideas are welcome.

Uh, since i am already asking questions: If i want to create a binary star i have to make one star and one emissive planet, is that still right?

[granthutchison]

MeanAnomaly is the parameter you need to adjust. Set up an EllipticalOrbit definition for the common orbit you want, and duplicate it for each planet, except with a different MeanAnomaly. Here's a toy example with three planets at 120 degrees to each other:

Code: Select all

"Planet1" "Star"
{
   Radius 6000

   EllipticalOrbit {   
      Period            1.2
      SemiMajorAxis     1.1
      Eccentricity      0.1
           MeanAnomaly   0
   }
}

"Planet2" "Star"
{
   Radius 3000

   EllipticalOrbit {   
      Period            1.2
      SemiMajorAxis     1.1
      Eccentricity      0.1
           MeanAnomaly   120
   }
}

"Planet3" "Star"
{
   Radius 4000

   EllipticalOrbit {   
      Period            1.2
      SemiMajorAxis     1.1
      Eccentricity      0.1
           MeanAnomaly   240
   }
}

Notice that everything within the EllipticalOrbit brackets is the same, except for the MeanAnomaly parameter.

Yes, you're still right about binary stars.

Grant

[Matlaf]

Thanks grant,

now the universe will beginn to have some real nice new solar systems in the near future.

What a shame with the binaries. Well i just have to find out how a planet in the cg of 3 "suns" will look like.

[Starman]

Well that brings up the idea of Jupiter's many trojan asteroids. Have we (or are we able to) cataloged them yet? It be very interesting to see Jupiter swallowing and deficating trojans.

--Starman

[selden]

See http://www.lns.cornell.edu/~seb/celestia/minor-planets.html#3.2.3

(Un)fortunately, the planetary Jupiter doesn't eat Trojans: they know enough to stay far away.

But I think you may be confusing your mythology. Saturn was the one who ate his children. And I don't know of any "Trojans" being detected in Saturn's orbit yet.