In uk.sci.astronomy message , Thu, 25
Oct 2012 08:44:35, Martin Brown
posted:

On 24/10/2012 21:14, Dr J R Stockton wrote:
In uk.sci.astronomy message , Tue, 23 Oct
2012 16:42:09, Martin Brown posted:

On 23/10/2012 12:48, Lunar wrote:
Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum and want to learn more about our solar system and
beyond. I'm eight years old and feel too advanced for what my school are
teaching me (poems about the order of the planets in our solar system!)
I want to learn more.

Ask away and we will try to answer at the right level. There is also

http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/...StarChild.html

H'mmm - all it has relevant to the Lagrange Points (popular nowadays) is
a GIF of Lagrange. The deficiency has been pointed out.

Contrary to common opinion, Lagrange did not discover the Lagrange
Points - although the final step to the Points from what he did is
trivial, he did not take it in the /Essai/, and, AFAICS, nowhere else
either. Euler discovered L1 & L2, quietly. Details on my site.

Be fair John!

The intricacies of the Lagrange points are not within easy grasp of an
average eight year old. A picture of the guy is more than enough - he
was a great mathematician.

It is easy enough to state, without proof that (and roughly where) L1 L2
L3 exist, and are unstable as is a ball on the nose of a seal; and that
L4 L5 exist, and are stable as is a ball on the inside of a wok.

The site has two age-ranges, and refers over-thirteens elsewhere. At
least the upper range, bearing in mind that only the more intelligent
will be reading the site, should be able to cope with the ideas behind a
** well-informed ** description. See
http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/gravity4.htm and the associated pages
linked to it.

Most physics undergraduates today would struggle to derive the orbital
Lagrangian points from first principles.

Yes, especially if they have been taught by the average general-purpose
lecturer.


Another interesting site for the OP is Stellarium which provides a
realtime simulated view of the sky on a PC which shows where to look
for planets and comets. Jupiter is easy in the evening sky now.

Here it seems to be generally eclipsed by instances of Pluvial Nimbus.
http://www.heavens-above.com/ is also good.


http://sourceforge.net/projects/stellarium/

You might be interested in my
http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/astron-5.htm, though it needs more work
on the spherical trig. Especially if you've read Hal Clement's
"Mistaken for Granted".


--
(c) John Stockton, nr London, UK. Mail via homepage. Turnpike v6.05 MIME.
Web http://www.merlyn.demon.co.uk/ - FAQqish topics, acronyms and links;
Astro stuff via astron-1.htm, gravity0.htm ; quotings.htm, pascal.htm, etc.