Orbit Perturbations

The study of the motion of two masses under their mutual gravitational attraction—the two-body system—lays the foundation to understanding space trajectories in general as examined in Chaps. 8 , 9 , and 12 . General principles of motion and Newton’s gravitational equation of motion are derived from first physical considerations. Its solutions—Keplerian orbits and radial trajectories—and their orbital elements are investigated and how orbital states can be propagated. Finally, stellar orbits in galaxies are examined.