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  2. Magnetic braking (astronomy) - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_braking_(astronomy)

    One possible explanation for the braking is the interaction of the protostar's magnetic field with the stellar wind. In the case of the Solar System, when the planets' angular momenta are compared to the Sun's own, the Sun has less than 1% of its supposed angular momentum. In other words, the Sun has slowed down its spin while the planets have not.

  3. Celestial mechanics - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celestial_mechanics

    Dynamics of the celestial spheres concerns pre-Newtonian explanations of the causes of the motions of the stars and planets. Dynamical time scale; Ephemeris is a compilation of positions of naturally occurring astronomical objects as well as artificial satellites in the sky at a given time or times. Gravitation

  4. Differential rotation - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_rotation

    Stars and planets rotate in the first place because conservation of angular momentum turns random drifting of parts of the molecular cloud that they form from into rotating motion as they coalesce. Given this average rotation of the whole body, internal differential rotation is caused by convection in stars which is a movement of mass, due to ...

  5. Retrograde and prograde motion - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrograde_and_prograde_motion

    In reality, stars orbit the center of their galaxy. Stars with an orbit retrograde relative to a disk galaxy's general rotation are more likely to be found in the galactic halo than in the galactic disk. The Milky Way's outer halo has many globular clusters with a retrograde orbit [38] and with a retrograde or zero rotation. [39]

  6. Earth's rotation - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_rotation

    The angular speed of Earth's rotation in inertial space is (7.292 115 0 ± 0.000 000 1) × 10 ^ −5 radians per SI second. [ 35 ] [ n 4 ] Multiplying by (180°/π radians) × (86,400 seconds/day) yields 360.985 6 °/day , indicating that Earth rotates more than 360 degrees relative to the fixed stars in one solar day.

  7. Tidal locking - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tidal_locking

    In Mercury's case, the planet completes three rotations for every two revolutions around the Sun, a 3:2 spin–orbit resonance. In the special case where an orbit is nearly circular and the body's rotation axis is not significantly tilted, such as the Moon, tidal locking results in the same hemisphere of the revolving object constantly facing ...

  8. Astronomical nutation - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astronomical_nutation

    It is caused by the gravitational forces of other nearby bodies acting upon the spinning object. Although they are caused by the same effect operating over different timescales, astronomers usually make a distinction between precession , which is a steady long-term change in the axis of rotation, and nutation , which is the combined effect of ...

  9. Newton's theorem of revolving orbits - Wikipedia

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton's_theorem_of...

    The blue planet feels only an inverse-square force and moves on an ellipse (k = 1). The green planet moves angularly three times as fast as the blue planet (k = 3); it completes three orbits for every orbit of the blue planet. The red planet illustrates purely radial motion with no angular motion (k = 0).