A geometric method to locate Neptune
arXiv:2102.04248 · doi:10.1119/10.0003349
Abstract
We develop a direct geometric method to determine the orbital parameters and mass of a planet, and we then apply the method to Neptune using high-precision data for the other planets in the solar system. The method is direct in the sense that it does not involve curve fitting. This paper, thereby, offers a new pedagogical approach to orbital mechanics that could be valuable in a physics classroom.
Accepted for publication in American Journal of Physics