Brandon Kirklen

ASTR 301-01 (Professor ): Notes

Lecture 1
Measuring Stuff
Mass
Gravitational effects,
Planetary/Satellite orbits
Spacecraft direct measurements

Size
Picture and Distance
Occultation - what happens when stuff blocks it
Radar - surface features

Temperature
Blackbody Radiation
Thermometer

Composition
Absorption spectrum - Only tells you the surface/atmosphere
Density
Albedo (reflectiveness)
Oblateness
Seismology - Solid bodies, using earth quakes

Sun
Surface temp = 5800 K
99.9% of the mass of the solar system
2% of the angular momentum
400 milion times brighter than anything else

Lecture

Brandon Kirklen

ASTR 301-01 (Professor ): Notes

Lecture 3
Keplers Laws
1. Planets orbit in ellipses, as the ellipse becomes more ovular then the eccentricity increases.
2. Planets carve out equal areas in equal times
3.

a3
=k
p2
where a simi-major axis, p orbital period, and k constant

Eccentricity
Circular orbit: e = 0
e 1 unboundorbit
b2
a2 e2
a2
+ 2 = 2
2
a
a
a
2
b
+ e2 = 1
a2
 2
b
2
e =1
a
r=

a(1 e2 )
1 + e cos

Where is the angle between planet and perihelion

= True anonalmy
Perihelion, closest point to sun, Aphelion farthest point from sun

General
Sun
Star
Earth

Near
periapse
perihelion
periastron
perigee

Far
apoagse
aphelion
apastron
apogee

Keplers 3rd Law w/gravity

GM m
r2
2
mv
GM m
Fc =
=
r
r2
GM
v2 =
r
2r
v=
p
Fg =

4 2 r2
GM
=
p2
r
GM
a3
G(M1 + M2 )
r3
=

=
2
2
2
p
4
p
4 2
Lecture 3 continued on next page. . .

Lecture

Brandon Kirklen

ASTR 301-01 (Professor ): Notes

Lecture

Virial Theorem
Force of Gravity
PE =

GM m
r

Citripital Force
GmM
mv 2
=
r
r2
GmM
r
2KE = P E

mv 2 =

Vis-Viva Equation
1
Etot = KE + P E = P E + P E
2
GmM
Etot = 1/2P E =
2a
At point R

GmM
1
GM m
= KE + P E = mv 2
2a
2
r
GmM
2GM m

= mv 2
a
r
2GM m GmM
mv 2 =

r
a


2 1
v 2 = GM

r
a


2 1
v 2 = G(M1 + M2 )

r
a

(Vis-viva Equation)