IOAA 2017 Prep PS02:

Celestial Mechanics 1
Problem 09242017-01
A) What is an inferior planet? In the context of planetary motion,
what is meant by elongation?
B) The greatest elongation of Mercury and Venus are (on average) 23
and 47, respectively. Use this information to find their distance to
the Sun, expressing your final answer in AUs.
Problem 09242017-02
Assume that all orbits in this problem are circular and are in the same plane. Jupiter is at
opposition on a certain day. After 87.5 days, Jupiter is at quadrature. Jupiter is observed to
be back at opposition 311.5 days after quadrature. The sidereal orbital period of the Earth
is 365.26 days.
A) What do the following terms mean: superior planet, sidereal orbital period,
opposition, quadrature, synodic period ?
Using only the data provided in this problem, and the simplifying assumption that all
planetary orbits are circular and on the same plane, calculate the following without using
Keplers third law:
B. the synodic period of Jupiter (in days)
C. the sidereal orbital period of Jupiter (in days)
D. the distance from the Sun to Jupiter (in AUs)
E. When the planet Jupiter is observed at opposition, its moon Io orbits the planet every
1.77 days and attains a maximum angular separation from Jupiter of 2.3 arc minutes. Use
this information, and the results of Parts B, C, and/or D and Keplers third law to calculate
the mass of Jupiter.
Note: 1 = 1.5 1011 , and = 6.67 1011 2 2 .
Problem 09242017-03
Star S019 orbits the Milky Ways central galactic black hole along an
elliptical path and has an orbital period of 37 years, and a semimajor
axis of 1720 AU. Compute the mass of the black hole and express your
answer in terms of the solar mass ..
Problem 09242017-04
A communications satellite used to relay television broadcasts is launched
into a circular geosynchronous orbit above the Earths equator. (The orbit
of such a satellite has the same angular frequency as that associated with
the Earths rotation.) A person who owns a satellite receiving dish can
thereby point the dish at the satellite and expect it to remain properly
aimed for an indefinite time.
a. What radius is required for the orbit of the satellite in order for it to be
geosynchronous?
b. For the owner of a satellite receiving dish in a city 30 north of the
Earths equator how many degrees away from the zenith would the
satellite dish have to be pointed to view an optimally placed
geosynchronous satellite?
.
Problem 09242017-05
A. A Sun-orbiting periodic comet is the farthest at 49.6 A.U. and the
closest at 0.4 A.U. What is the orbital period of this comet?
B. For the comet in Part A above, what is the area (in square A.U. per
year) swept by the line joining the comet and the Sun?
C. Most single-appearance comets enter the inner Solar System
directly from the Oort Cloud. Estimate how long it takes a comet to
make this journey. Assume that in the Oort Cloud, 35 000 AU from
the Sun, the comet was at aphelion.