Astronomy: Calculating Neptune's Mass from Triton's Orbit

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating Neptune's mass using Triton's orbital parameters. Given Triton's orbital radius of 355,000,000 meters and an orbital period of 5.877 days, Kepler's Third Law is applied to derive Neptune's mass. The mass of Triton is negligible compared to Neptune, allowing for simplification in calculations. This approach effectively demonstrates the application of classical mechanics in astrophysics.

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  • Understanding of Kepler's Third Law of planetary motion
  • Basic knowledge of orbital mechanics
  • Familiarity with unit conversions (days to seconds)
  • Ability to perform calculations involving gravitational forces
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Astronomy students, educators, and anyone interested in celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary masses.

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This question has been stumping me on my Astronomy homework for the past couple of days. I've tried to input the question into any of the other formulae that we've studied, but I keep drawing a blank on it.

Homework Statement



Given the size of Triton's orbit(a = 355,000,000 meters) and its orbital period (P = 5.877 days), calculate the mass of Neptune.
 
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Look up kepler's third law, it does include the mass of the moon but as long as this is much less than the mass of the planet it can be ignored.
 
Last edited:


Thanks.
 

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