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Kepler’s war with Mars

Kepler’s War with Mars

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/image/planetary/mars/marsglobe3.jpg               http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-mars.html

This data comes from a planetary program, so it is a bit of an elliptical argument - so to speak - to use numbers calculated from software which uses Kepler’s own idea about the orbit of Mars.  Call it hypothetical.  At any rate, the graph illustrates how Kepler discovered the nature of Mars’ orbit, I think.

Data from the table below are graphed here.  The data come in pairs and each pair corresponds to one point along Mars’ orbit.  The first twelve entries in the table are plotted.

 

1. Zero degrees corresponds to the autumnal equinox.  Earth’s orbit is approximated as circular.

2. First, the ecliptic longitude of Earth is marked, with the sun as origin.

3. Next, the elongation of Mars is marked with Earth as the origin.

4. Each pair of lines of elongation cross at a location of Mars.

5. Enough data should trace out the orbit of Mars.  Once the data are plotted the elliptical nature of the orbit will be obvious; fit an ellipse with the sun at one focal point. 

6. Only six positions of Mars are illustrated in this graph; color coded.

7. Thirty two positions of Mars are given in the table.  Knock yourself out.

The planetary program from which the data above was taken.

Mariner 9 image.  Located near -80 degrees latitude and 64 degrees longitude, it is likely the result of wind deflation of deposits from underlying rough terrain. The "cells" in the image are about 4-5 kilometers in width.

 

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-mars.html

Mosaic of Olympus Mons' caldera.

 

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-mars.html

Color mosaic of Viking Orbiter 1 and 2 images showing Candor Chasma, part of the Valles Marineris system on Mars. This oblique view is looking from the north over the 800 km wide chasm, which is centered at about 6.5 S, 71. W. The walls and floor show evidence of erosion and mass wasting and complex geomorphology.

 

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/vom_nj05s070.html

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/thumbnail_pages/mars_thumbnails.html

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/vo1_mg07s078.html

Mars - Viking 1 Lander

 

This is the first panoramic view ever returned from the surface of Mars. This view from Camera 2 on Viking 1 shows Chryse Planitia on 20 July 1976, shortly after Viking landed. The local time was late afternoon, the brightness on the right side of the frame is due ot the Sun to the west. The panorama covers 300 degrees. In the foreground are parts of the lander: the meteorology boom at extreme left, the housing for the sample arm, which has not been deployed yet, at left the cover for the radiothermal generator and at far left the high-gain dish antenna. Scattered rocks appear in the foreground center, ranging in size from about 10 to 20 cm across, and to the left and right can be seen areas of fine-grained material which are the edges of a small dune field. The features on the horizon are roughly 3 km away. The white band be seen in the center of the sky is not a cloud but simply a spurious reflection from the outer camera housing. The dark lines in the sky are a product of the imaging.

http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/imgcat/html/object_page/vl1_p17045.html

Page 1

Keplers Elliptical Orbit .

 

 

Page 2

Orbit Data.

 

 

Page 3

Mars Fact Sheet.  (nasa)

Fear and Panic.

 

 

Page 4

Mars Exploration.

(nasa)

 

 

Page 5

The Brahe Campaign.

Kepler’s Battle Plan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: nasa

 

All links and photo references valid at time of writing and  in future  will likely never be checked to see if they are still valid.

mnealon@eosc.edu

webpages and Eos image copyright 2020   M  Nealon

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