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From: fred@inuxc.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.physics
Subject: orbital calculations?
Message-ID: <694@inuxc.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Jun-83 10:25:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: inuxc.694
Posted: Thu Jun  9 10:25:18 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 11-Jun-83 08:50:50 EDT
Lines: 13

I'm looking for some information about orbital computation
methods. I'm writing a computer program for home computer systems 
that essentially solve the n body gravitational (n something around
ten bodies) attractional problem. I would like the program to
be able to plot out earth to moon orbits, show the stabilities of the
L-5 points, and demonstrate the gravitational whip and braking effects
of planetary fly-bys. I intend to solve the differential equations
using either a Runge Kutta or predictor corrector formulation.
	Now to my question. How do the big boys (NASA - JPL etc)
formulate this problem when they are running orbital calculations?


					Fred (ABI Indy)