Astronomy

Earth's wandering pole

Scrub through 25,772 years. Follow the axis around the ecliptic pole and see why the pole star changes.

Actual application image

The model and its limits

Constant-rate axial precession with fixed obliquity. Nutation and planetary perturbations are omitted; celestial distances are illustrative.

Equations used in the module

Equations
ω = 2π/P; n = (sin ε cos ωt, cos ε, sin ε sin ωt).

Astronomy / Earth

Compare eccentricity, tilt and precession with summer sunlight at a selected latitude. Move through 400,000 years.

Astronomy

Reverse the spin-axis tilt to reverse the diurnal Yarkovsky drift. Change thermal inertia to move the afternoon hot spot.

Astronomy

Compare slow and fast convergent migration. Watch an imposed 2:1 resonance retain the period ratio as the pair moves through the disk.