Translated from the Russian by G. Yankovsky
An accessible exposition of gravitation theory and celestial mechanics, this classic, oft-cited work was written by a distinguished Soviet astronomer. It explains with exceptional clarity the methods used by physicists in studying celestial phenomena.
A historical introduction explains the Ptolemaic view of planetary motion and its displacement by the studies of Copernicus, Kepler, and Newton. Succeeding chapters examine the making of celestial observations and measurements and explain such central concepts as the ecliptic, the orbital plane, the two- and three-body problems, and perturbed motion. Ryabov also describes how perturbations in the path of Uranus led to the discovery of Neptune, and he devotes considerable attention to satellites, including a detailed treatment of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik I. Additional topics include planetary rotation, the calculation of units of time, and the motions of the stars, with illustrations of how the law of gravity determines the shapes of galaxies. The book concludes with a deeper consideration of gravity, pointing out basic distinctions between classical and Einsteinian theories.
Introduction
Ancient Conceptions
Concerning the Motions of the Sun, Moon, Planets and Stars
The Geometry of Planetary Motions from Copernicus to Kepler
The Discovery of the Law of Gravitation
The Attraction of Material Bodies of Different Shapes
Experimental Detection of Attraction between Material Bodies on Earth
Newton's Law---The Theoretical Basis of Celestial Motion
Celestial Motion and the Two-Body Problem
The Concept of Perturbed Motion.
Celestial Mechanics and Practical Astronomy
Ways of Describing Perturbed Motion.
The Variational Orbit
The Problem of Motion in the Solar System
Succes sive Approximations in the Theory of Motion of Heavenly Bodies
The Discovery of Neptune
Periodic and Secular Perturbations
Numerical Methods in Celestial Mechanics
Satellite Theory
Artificial Earth Satellites and Their Motion
The Motions of Asteroids
Planetary Rotation
Problems of Qualitative Celestial Mechanics
Stellar Motions and the Law of Gravitation
What is Gravitation? Appendix
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