Canadian Astronomical Society (CASCA)
Société canadienne d'astronomie (CASCA)
Paul WIEGERT
University of Western Ontario
Visualizing dynamics in the Solar System
Computers have long been used to study the behaviour of dynamical systems. Despite this fact, the potential to use computer animations to display and examine the results of such investigations have remained to a large extent unexploited. Advances in processor speed and software now make it possible to display the results of simulations much more easily on a computer screen, in some cases with real-time control of details such as the viewpoint. These developments provide new opportunities for Solar System studies as well as to astronomy in general, both in a research and a teaching context.