10th Planet resonance with Neptune

[tony873004]

"10th Planet" resonance with Neptune

The "10th Planet" is locked in resonance with Neptune. 2003 UB313 is in a 17:5 resonance with Neptune. I've never seen a number as high as 17 be part of a resonance before . 2005 FY9 is in an 11:6 resonance with Neptune. Here's a page I made illustrating the resonances:

http://www.orbitsimulator.com/gravity/articles/newtno.html

 

[misskitty]

Tony, what do you mean "10th planet resonates with Neptune"? How does a planet resonate? I've never heard that. Not doubting you, but I've just never heard of it before.

~Kitty

 

[russ_watters]

Its not the planet, its the orbit he's talking about. When two planets pass near each other, they pull on each other, affecting the shape of their orbits.

 

[tony873004]

Tony, what do you mean "10th planet resonates with Neptune"? How does a planet resonate? I've never heard that. Not doubting you, but I've just never heard of it before.

~Kitty

I've updated the link in my first post. It now shows an animation of what a resonance can do.

In this case, the resonance makes sure that 2003 UB₃₁₃ orbits the Sun exactly 5 times for every 17 orbits made by Neptune. If an outside pertubation speeds up 2003 UB₃₁₃'s orbit making the resonance 17.01 : 5, Neptune will perturb 2003 UB₃₁₃ and slow it back down to 16.99 : 5. It will continue oscillating between 17.01 : 5 and 16.99 : 5 indefinately, averaging exactly 17 : 5. Resonances are only interesting if they're integers.

Pluto is locked in a 3:2 resonance with Neptune. For every 3 orbits Neptune makes around the Sun, Pluto makes 2. Not exactly 2. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. But Neptune causes Pluto's period to oscillate with exactly 2 as its average over long periods of time. This ensures that they will never collide.