t he d iscovery of n eptune ben brown & leo mcelroy
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THE DISCOVERY OF NEPTUNE
Ben Brown & Leo McElroy
URANUS’ ORBIT: MODEL VS. DATA Mathematical Model
Newtonian mechanics Elliptical orbits
Observed Orbit Mainly elliptical Significant deviations or “wobbles”
Competing Explanations: The current model was wrong There was another planet pulling Uranus out of
orbit
VERRIER AND ADAMS Urbain Le Verrier and John Couch Adam both
believed there was another planet September 23rd, 1845: Neptune was first
observed using Verrier’s predictions Neptune’s orbit and mass predicted using the wobbles
in Uranus’ orbit.
WHY DOESN’T URANUS GET PULLED OUT OF ORBIT?
STRUCTURAL REALISM
5
Commitment to Underlying Mathematical Structure
Verrier and Adams prediction was ultimately observable. What if it wasn’t?
IMAGE SOURCES A treatise on astronomy, descriptive, physical
and practical: designed for schools, colleges, and private students - Horatio Nelson Robinson
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/01/Gravitational_perturbation.svg/2000px-Gravitational_perturbation.svg.png
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