Questions tagged [mathematics]
For astronomy questions with a heavy mathematical component, more than simple formulas. For regular mathematics question, visit our sister site Mathematics Stack Exchange.
198 questions
1 vote
2 answers
145 views
Help on calculating the sun's horizontal coordinates
For a couple of weeks, I have been trying to write a program that takes your latitude and longitude and outputs the current horizontal coordinates of the sun. The end goal is that I want to code a sun ...
- 11
-4 votes
2 answers
603 views
I was struggling to understand the concept of arcminute which is corresponding with arctangent, and just couldn't figure it out. A practical riddle
Regarding this formula; θ = 2arctan(d/2D), in which, θ is the angel in degree version of arcmin, d stands for diameter of the object which has subtended the angle of θ or arcmin at the distance of D. ...
- 1
4 votes
1 answer
166 views
How to measure the angle that defines the apparent rotation or orientation of the Moon’s face as seen from Earth?
I would like to know how to measure the angle that defines the apparent rotation or orientation of the Moon’s face as seen from Earth. For example, the Tycho crater sometimes appears pointing left, ...
- 327
0 votes
0 answers
58 views
Is it possible to determine the Sun's angle of illumination and elevation/altitude from the horizon using satellite imagery?
Google Maps' imagery for the year 2025 imagery, has been recently updated. It can be seen that different imagery has different illumination angles created by the Sun. Using the shadows caused by ...
- 895
0 votes
1 answer
154 views
How could a human decode the position of Earth from the Golden Record from the distance of light years?
Based on our knowledge of mathematics, astronomy, and physics, what could be the most likely algorithm for decoding the position of our planet from the Golden Record at a distance of light years?
user65215
2 votes
0 answers
49 views
A good, up-to-date review of all periodicity discovery techniques (folding, etc.)
The excellently written January 2010 AstroBetter Wiki Periodicity Analysis already has some dead or now-unhelpful links, and certainly with the data explosion in the last 15 years and intensified ...
user7982
2 votes
0 answers
71 views
How to approach writing software to find planetary alignments
This isn't a request for calculations or formulas — I have those, but I'd like to sense check how one might structure a program to calculate when an alignment would occur between two or more planets ...
- 121
3 votes
1 answer
157 views
Studying astronomy after mathematics
I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to ask, but I don't know where else I could ask this. I did a bachelor in mathematics because it was the easiest subject for me but it is becoming pretty ...
- 41
0 votes
0 answers
112 views
Is there an equation modeling the sun's influence on lunar nodal precession? (usable for any arbitrary moon)
I'm trying to model eclipses for arbitrary planets and their moons. to do this I need an equation that can model nodal precession. I know that the gravitational torque of the sun causes a large part ...
- 101
3 votes
1 answer
216 views
What does it mean to model the distribution of galaxies as cosmic dust?
I read a paper published in General Relativity and Gravitation: On the local geometry of rotating matter. Some of the content in Section 5 raised my doubts, and the content is as follows: In ...
- 31
2 votes
0 answers
60 views
Help with IMCCE Great Red Spot API
I'd like to add a great red spot transit feature to a personal Android app I'm writing and was looking to utilize the IMCEE Great Red Spot API located here: https://ssp.imcce.fr/webservices/vo-tools/...
- 21
1 vote
1 answer
111 views
Cosmological redshift to distance calculation: Why are imaginary numbers involved?
I was looking at this question and read through the linked article http://arxiv.org/pdf/astro-ph/0007341v1.pdf. When I was attempting to compute the distance between two galaxies using the following ...
- 6,892
1 vote
0 answers
76 views
On the eclipse mathematical problem in Willian Chauvenet's Book
I need some help with the following concept regarding how William Chauvenet sets up the eclipse mathematical problem in his book "Manual of Spherical and Practical Astronomy." My questions ...
0 votes
1 answer
266 views
Moon's ecliptic latitude and longitude [duplicate]
Is there a way to compute the Moon's ecliptic latitude and longitude without declination or right ascension? Note: I have a formula to compute the Moon's position that uses an ecliptic latitude and ...
- 327
3 votes
1 answer
137 views
Orbit equation solver giving wrong orbits
Recently I've become interested in simulating orbital mechanics using Kepler's equations, and in Unity I created my own equation solver by following this paper I found. However, inputting Earth's ...
