t he d iscovery of n eptune ben brown & leo mcelroy

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THE DISCOVERY OF NEPTUNE Ben Brown & Leo McElroy

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V ERRIER AND A DAMS  Urbain Le Verrier and John Couch Adam both believed there was another planet  September 23 rd, 1845: Neptune was first observed using Verrier’s predictions  Neptune’s orbit and mass predicted using the wobbles in Uranus’ orbit.

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Page 1: T HE D ISCOVERY OF N EPTUNE Ben Brown & Leo McElroy

THE DISCOVERY OF NEPTUNE

Ben Brown & Leo McElroy

Page 2: T HE D ISCOVERY OF N EPTUNE 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

Page 3: T HE D ISCOVERY OF N EPTUNE Ben Brown & Leo McElroy

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.

Page 4: T HE D ISCOVERY OF N EPTUNE Ben Brown & Leo McElroy

WHY DOESN’T URANUS GET PULLED OUT OF ORBIT?

Page 5: T HE D ISCOVERY OF N EPTUNE Ben Brown & Leo McElroy

STRUCTURAL REALISM

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Commitment to Underlying Mathematical Structure

Verrier and Adams prediction was ultimately observable. What if it wasn’t?

Page 6: T HE D ISCOVERY OF N EPTUNE Ben Brown & Leo McElroy

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