Orbital Mechanics Visualization Tools

Interactive 3D visualization tools for plotting and animating celestial object orbits using JPL Horizons data.

Files Overview

• jpl_horizons_aq.py - JPL Horizons API using astroquery (RECOMMENDED)
• orbit_plotly_animate.py - Interactive 3D orbit animation with time evolution
• orbit_plotly.py - Static 3D orbit plotting
• jpl_horizons.py - Manual JPL Horizons API implementation (backup)
• orbit.py - Original matplotlib version

Quick Setup

```python

Install dependencies

!pip install plotly astroquery numpy requests

Import and use

from jplhorizonsaq import getorbitalelementsforobjects from orbitplotlyanimate import animate_orbits

Get orbital elements for Earth and Halley's Comet

objectids = ['399', '90000001'] # Earth, Halley's Comet names = ['Earth', "Halley's Comet"] orbits = getorbitalelementsforobjects(objectids, names)

Create 80-year animation

animateorbits(orbits, names, durationdays=80*365, timestepdays=30) ```

Common JPL Horizons Object IDs

• 399: Earth
• 499: Mars
• 599: Jupiter
• 699: Saturn
• 90000001: Halley's Comet
• 90000010: Comet NEOWISE
• 2000001: Ceres (asteroid)

Key Comparisons Made

JPL Horizons vs Research Data

• Earth semi-major axis: JPL=1.495544 AU vs Research=1.000000 AU
• Halley semi-major axis: JPL=26.97 AU vs Research=17.94 AU
• JPL provides osculating elements (instantaneous) vs mean elements (averaged)
• JPL data is more accurate for current positions

Astroquery vs Manual API

• Earth semi-major axis: AQ=0.999542 AU vs Manual=1.495544 AU
• Astroquery is more accurate due to better unit handling
• Astroquery recommended for production use

Authentication Setup for GitHub

```bash

Check if gh CLI is installed

!gh --version

Authenticate (follow prompts)

!gh auth login

Create repository and push files

!git init !git add *.py *.md !git commit -m "Initial commit: orbital mechanics tools" !gh repo create orbital-mechanics --public !git remote add origin https://github.com/$(gh api user --jq .login)/orbital-mechanics.git !git branch -M main !git push -u origin main ```

Automated Push Script

For ongoing updates, use the automated push script:

```python

Run the automated push script

from pushtogithub import main main() ```

The script automatically handles git configuration, staging, commits, and pushing changes to GitHub.

Restoration Script for New Sessions

```python def setuporbitaltools(): """Quick setup for orbital mechanics tools in new Colab session""" import os, subprocess, sys

# Install dependencies
subprocess.run(['pip', 'install', '-q', 'plotly', 'astroquery'])

# Clone repository (replace USERNAME with your GitHub username)
repo_url = "https://github.com/USERNAME/orbital-mechanics.git"
if not os.path.exists('/content/orbital-mechanics'):
    print("📡 Cloning repository...")
    subprocess.run(['git', 'clone', repo_url], cwd='/content')

# Add to Python path and change directory
sys.path.append('/content/orbital-mechanics')
os.chdir('/content/orbital-mechanics')

print("✅ Orbital mechanics tools ready!")

Run this at start of new sessions

setuporbitaltools() ```

Example Usage

Earth and Halley Animation

```python from jplhorizonsaq import getorbitalelementsforobjects from orbitplotlyanimate import animate_orbits

Earth and Halley's Comet over 80 years

orbits = getorbitalelementsforobjects(['399', '90000001'], ['Earth', "Halley's Comet"]) animateorbits(orbits, ['Earth', "Halley's Comet"], durationdays=80*365, timestepdays=30) ```

Multiple Planets

```python

Inner solar system

objectids = ['399', '499', '599'] # Earth, Mars, Jupiter names = ['Earth', 'Mars', 'Jupiter'] orbits = getorbitalelementsforobjects(objectids, names) animateorbits(orbits, names, durationdays=10*365, timestepdays=10) ```

Static Plot

```python from orbitplotly import plotorbits

orbits = [ {'a': 1.0, 'e': 0.017, 'i': 0.0, 'omega': 114.2, 'Omega': -11.3, 'M0': 357.5, 'period': 365.25, 'epoch': datetime.now()}, {'a': 17.94, 'e': 0.967, 'i': 162.3, 'omega': 111.33, 'Omega': 58.42, 'M0': 0.0, 'period': 27759, 'epoch': datetime(1986, 2, 9)} ] labels = ['Earth', "Halley's Comet"] plot_orbits(orbits, labels) ```

Technical Notes

• Uses JPL Horizons API for accurate orbital elements
• Implements Kepler's equation solver for position calculation
• Supports heliocentric ecliptic coordinate system
• Handles time evolution and orbital perturbations
• Interactive 3D visualization with Plotly

Dependencies

• plotly (3D visualization)
• astroquery (JPL Horizons API)
• numpy (numerical calculations)
• requests (HTTP requests)
• datetime (time handling)

Created with Claude Code assistance for accurate orbital mechanics visualization.