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To: Lonesome in Massachussets

I can see large planetary motions being fairly predictable, mostly because the masses involved are large and there is a lot of data to anchor the models.

But it would be nearly impossible to predict the long-term motions of an object in the asteroid belt.


52 posted on 09/02/2022 6:47:07 AM PDT by kosciusko51
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To: kosciusko51

Small objects do not have much influence, but are themselves influenced by large objects. There are several highly developed and detailed models of the solar system. The smaller a body is, the more predictable its trajectory because uncertainty in its mass has little effect on massive bodies.


53 posted on 09/02/2022 6:59:45 AM PDT by Lonesome in Massachussets (Forsan et haec olim meminisse iuvabit.)
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