Computer simulation of planetary orbits (Instructions Below)

Instructions are provided below. Click here to read more about this simulation.

1. Choose Outer Planets or Inner Planets (bottom left)
2. Click one or more of the planets at the top and it/they will appear in the system.
3. Click Start/Pause and the planet(s) you selected begin to orbit the Sun.
   Orbital parameters for the last planet clicked are displayed in red at the top
   • a - semimajor axis in AUs,
   • - astronomical eccentricity, and
   • T - period of the orbit in Earth years.
4. Click Trails to trace out the elliptical orbit(s)
5. To launch an additional orbiting body (comet, asteroid, etc.)
   • Enter its parameters a and with 0 < < 1 and a into the boxes in the upper right
     Orbital parameters for selected comets and asteroids are provided on the info page.
   • Click the yellow comet/asteroid button to start the orbit.
6. Click Plot Times/Speed to see the elapsed time in Earth days and speed (mi/sec) at that instant.
• Click Clear Times/Speed will remove this information.
7. Click Clear All and the orbiting bodies will disappear.