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@sundogplanets@mastodon.social · 13 hours ago

In 1964, the first simulation showing that Pluto is in a mean-motion resonance with Neptune was published: https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1965Obs....85...43C

They ran a 120,000 year simulation that showed libration of the resonant angle for the first time. This must have been terrifyingly hard to do. Punch cards, vacuum tubes, FORTRAN? I don't even know how they did this, but it was run on the Naval Ordnance Research Calculator

This was the first time Pluto's orbital stability was explained.

A figure from a paper showing Pluto's motion relative to Neptune's over 120,000 years. Pluto makes almost a circle, but with two little loops 90 degrees from Neptune's position.

Sybil Kailena :verified:

@sybil_kailena@h4.io replied · 10 hours ago

@sundogplanets Trump will oneday catch this illegal black imigrant. W8 and Watch

Mania Emma

@Emmaf_77@piaille.fr replied · 12 hours ago

@sundogplanets #feminism

BashStKid

@BashStKid@mastodon.online replied · 13 hours ago

@sundogplanets Lots of work on geodesy and the geoid as well as the astronomical work. Just in time for the seventies work on plate tectonics and deeper Earth structure.

Prof. Sam Lawler

@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied · 13 hours ago

A paper from a few years ago by Dung et al. looked at how often programmers were not credited as authors in genetics research papers from the 1970s and 1980s, but were acknowledged as programmers who ran the code for the analysis, and how often those uncredited scientists were women https://academic.oup.com/genetics/article/211/2/363/5931132?login=false

It used to be very common practice to have a programmer do your analysis for you, and they weren't considered a co-author (probably because many were women)

hajovonta

@hajovonta@mastodon.online replied · 9 hours ago

@sundogplanets "probably because many were women"

citation needed

Prof. Sam Lawler

@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied · 13 hours ago

In 1964, the first simulation showing that Pluto is in a mean-motion resonance with Neptune was published: https://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pdf/1965Obs....85...43C

This was the first time Pluto's orbital stability was explained.

jadebees

@jadebees@sunny.garden replied · 11 hours ago

@sundogplanets So not only does Pluto have a Valentine heart on it, this diagram explaining the stability of its orbit has a smiley face.

Prof. Sam Lawler

@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied · 8 hours ago

@jadebees Pluto is very friendly, despite its demotion from planetary status!

A man is retired.

@Photo55@mastodon.social replied · 12 hours ago

@sundogplanets
In 1966 #LarryNiven a SciFi author in #WorldOfPtavvs had #Pluto a moon of Neptune, long previously hit by a spaceship at relativistic speed aimed at #Neptune An artifact protected by a plot device remained on it.

He would have been aware of that work I think.

Good story, although the usual elements wouldn't do this century.

Roy -- the dull one

@oldclumsy_nowmad@mastodon.social replied · 13 hours ago

@sundogplanets

Thanks for the nifty reference!

rag. Gustavino Bevilacqua

@GustavinoBevilacqua@mastodon.cisti.org replied · 13 hours ago

@sundogplanets

If Galileo had proposed such an abstruse orbit they would have put him to boil with carrots and onions

Prof. Sam Lawler

@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied · 13 hours ago

You know who did a lot of programming on the Naval Ordnance Research Computer and was brilliant and good at orbits? Gladys West!

This archived Air Force bio says she was involved in the Pluto study https://web.archive.org/web/20190603171222/https://www.afspc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1707464/mathematician-inducted-into-space-and-missiles-pioneers-hall-of-fame/

But the paper is credited as Cohen & Hubbard 1964. Because she was "just" a programmer, and the research note linked above starts and ends with "gentlemen", so yeah, they definitely didn't want to put her as a co-author.

Air Force Space Command

Mathematician inducted into Space and Missiles Pioneers Hall of Fame

Robin

@firefly@m.ai6yr.org replied · 10 hours ago

@sundogplanets @ai6yr I highly recommend Dr. West’s autobiography, published in 2020.

Book cover entitled It Began With a Dream, an autobiography of Dr. Gladys B. West. It includes a lovely photo of Gladys, smiling perched up above the clouds. Rest in Peace Gladys. You rocked.

Prof. Sam Lawler

@sundogplanets@mastodon.social replied · 13 hours ago

Thanks for all the math, Dr. West! I see your work all over the Solar System.

Zeal Ellis

@zealellis6@mastodon.social replied · 10 hours ago

@sundogplanets Do you know you can make up to $5k in one week without sending your money to anyone but into your own account you'll create yourself.Text me on WhatsApp for info.
+14385540407

Laukidh

@Laukidh@infosec.exchange replied · 13 hours ago

@sundogplanets I had to

Same plot but with two dots to mark eyes

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