Need confirmation of planetary distances

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the accuracy of calculated distances of the planets Mercury, Venus, and Earth from the Sun, represented in a diagram using millimeters to denote millions of miles. Participants explore the orbital distances and eccentricities of these planets, focusing on whether the provided measurements are correct.

Discussion Character

  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents a diagram with calculated distances for Mercury, Venus, and Earth, seeking confirmation of accuracy.
  • Another participant suggests that expertise is not necessary to verify the orbital radius and eccentricity, indicating that the first number for Venus and Earth does not make sense.
  • Further clarification is provided about the low eccentricity of Venus and Earth, implying that their orbits are nearly circular.
  • Mathematical relationships involving semi-major and semi-minor axes, as well as eccentricity, are introduced to support the discussion.
  • A later reply acknowledges errors in the initial figures presented by the first participant, indicating a self-correction process.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the accuracy of the initial measurements, and multiple viewpoints regarding the calculations and their implications are present.

Contextual Notes

Some assumptions about the definitions of orbital distances and the method of calculation are not fully articulated, which may affect the interpretation of the distances presented.

Porsha
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Hello.
I'm wondering if my numbers on my diagram are correct. I've drawn the sun to the left of a plain piece of blank printer paper. To the right I have calculated using millimeters mm representing a million miles. 1mm=1million miles. Mercury is two dots to the right that are 36mm-57.9mm to represent the orbital ring distance from the sun based on the orbit being an oval. Each of those numbers are the closest and farthest away from the sun. Venus is to the right of the sun represented as two dots 67.2mm-108.2mm showing the closest and farthest orbiting distance paths. Earth is to the right of the sun represented as two dots 93mm-149.6mm showing the closest and farthest orbiting distances. Are these numbers absolutely correct representations of the distances of the planets Mercury, Venus, and Earth? All of the distances calculated started at the edge of the sun and not the edge of the paper.

I would like an expert only on this subject to confirm these to be accurate.
 
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You really need not be an expert to look up the orbital radius and the eccentricity. For Venus and the Earth, the second number is the semi-major axis, but the first number doesn't make sense. The eccentricity of both planets is quite low.
you have \frac {S_maj^2} {S_min^2} = 1 - e^2
 
willem2 said:
You really need not be an expert to look up the orbital radius and the eccentricity. For Venus and the Earth, the second number is the semi-major axis, but the first number doesn't make sense. The eccentricity of both planets is quite low and the orbits are nearly circular.
you have \frac {S_{maj}^2} {S_{min}^2} = 1 - e^2
For small values of e you get \frac {S_{maj}} {S_{min}} \approx 1+e[/QUOTE]
where smaj is the semi-major axis and smin the semi-minor axis, and e is the eccentricity.
e = 0.016 for Earth and 0.0067 for Venus.
 
Porsha said:
Hello.
I'm wondering if my numbers on my diagram are correct. I've drawn the sun to the left of a plain piece of blank printer paper. To the right I have calculated using millimeters mm representing a million miles. 1mm=1million miles. Mercury is two dots to the right that are 36mm-57.9mm to represent the orbital ring distance from the sun based on the orbit being an oval. Each of those numbers are the closest and farthest away from the sun. Venus is to the right of the sun represented as two dots 67.2mm-108.2mm showing the closest and farthest orbiting distance paths. Earth is to the right of the sun represented as two dots 93mm-149.6mm showing the closest and farthest orbiting distances. Are these numbers absolutely correct representations of the distances of the planets Mercury, Venus, and Earth? All of the distances calculated started at the edge of the sun and not the edge of the paper.

I would like an expert only on this subject to confirm these to be accurate.

I have figured out where I have made errors in my figures. Thank you very much for your input.
 

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