Astro*Dictionary
by Michael Erlewine
2 articles for
"Titius"
Astronomer.
Best-known for a footnote in a book he was translating. He shares credit for the mathematical curiosity known as the Titius-Bode Law, a formula for the distances of the successive planets from the sun.
See also:
♦ Titius-bode Law
Titius-Bode Law [Astro*Index]
A mathematical curiosity named after Johann D. Titius and Johann E. Bode.
The formula: D = (3n+4)/10, n=0,1,2,... gives approximate mean distances (in AUs) for the planets, where n=0 represents Mercury, n=1 represents Venus, n=2, Earth, etc. The values for Ceres, the largest of the asteroids, has been used for n=4. The formula gives a poor values for Neptune and Pluto.
The following table compares the results obtained from the formula (D), with the actual value (a):
| n | Planet | D | a | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Mercury | 0.4 | 0.39 | |
| 1 | Venus | 0.7 | 0.72 | |
| 2 | Earth | 1.0 | 1.00 | |
| 3 | Mars | 1.6 | 1.52 | |
| 4 | (Ceres) | 2.8 | 2.7 | |
| 5 | Jupiter | 5.2 | 5.2 | |
| 6 | Saturn | 10.0 | 9.5 | |
| 7 | Uranus | 19.6 | 19.2 | |
| 8 | Neptune | 38.8 | 30.1 | |
| 9 | Pluto | 77.2 | 39.4 | |
The values for Ceres, the largest of the asteroids, has been used for n=4. |
||||
See also:
♦ Titius, Johann D. ♦ Bode, Johann Elert ♦ Richardson's Formula
Astro*Index Copyright © 1997 Michael Erlewine
[ TOP ]