The Orrery

Edited by Caxton C. Foster

Product Information: hardbound, 6 by 9 inches, 328 pages, 133 Illustrations

An orrery is a mechanical device designed to demonstrate the rotation and orbital motion of the earth, and the orbital motion of the moon and the planets. The device was given the name orrery by its inventor, John Rowley, as a gesture of gratitude to the nobleman who employed him Charles Boyle, the fourth Earl of Orrery (1676–1731).

The Orrey — Computer Models of Astronomical Systems tells you how to exploit the power of the computer to model dozens of astronomical systems. Written in a conversational mode, it includes both the formulae and source code, in BASIC, (on disk) and executable files so you do not need a BASIC complier or runtime program to execute the programs. Subjects include: Simple Harmonic Motion, The Doppler Effect, Non-Spherical Masses in Orbit, Trojan Stability, Orbital Resonances, Ovendens Principle, Size Distributions of the Minor Planets, Global Positioning System, Gravitational Lenses, Harmonies Among the Stars, An Animated Analemma, Stability Zones, Solar Sailing, The Heliogyro, Building a Galaxy, Moon Phases, plus much, much more...