t he d iscovery of n eptune ben brown & leo mcelroy
DESCRIPTION
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.TRANSCRIPT
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THE DISCOVERY OF NEPTUNE
Ben Brown & Leo McElroy
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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
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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](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022082419/5a4d1b387f8b9ab05999da5d/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
WHY DOESN’T URANUS GET PULLED OUT OF ORBIT?
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STRUCTURAL REALISM
5
Commitment to Underlying Mathematical Structure
Verrier and Adams prediction was ultimately observable. What if it wasn’t?
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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