Orbital Eccentricity Study of Planets: A Comparative Analysis of Manual Simulation and Digital Visualization

Year 2025, Volume: 21 Issue: 2, 129 - 141

Thoriqi Firdaus , Listiawan Listiawan Riski Dewanto Ihza Rizky Winedar

https://doi.org/10.17244/eku.1595205

Abstract

Understanding planetary orbits is a fundamental concept in astronomy. Many secondary school students encounter difficulties comprehending the shape and characteristics of orbits, which are not perfect circles but ellipses with varying degrees of eccentricity. These challenges are particularly evident when students are tasked with sketching or calculating the eccentricity of a planet's orbit, a measure of how elongated the orbit is. This study aims to explore and compare the efficacy of two pedagogical approaches manual simulation and digital simulation—in enhancing students' understanding of planetary orbit shapes and the concept of eccentricity. A descriptive-comparative research design is employed to depict and contrast the effectiveness of these two teaching methods. The experiment, crafted based on expert design, involves four qualified astronomy educators to apply both approaches. The manual simulation requires students to draw orbits and compute eccentricity manually, whereas the digital simulation leverages software to visualize the motion of planetary orbits. Evaluation is conducted through Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with four subject matter experts to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the two methods, the challenges faced by students, and the level of comprehension achieved. The results from the manual experiment indicate that the orbital eccentricity ranges between 0.2 and 0.4, suggesting that the planets' orbits are elliptical. These findings align with Kepler’s laws, which state that planetary orbits are elliptical, with the Sun at one of the foci. Results from the NASA Eyes application further corroborate this, showing that the orbits of planets in the solar system are indeed elliptical, both at perihelion (the point closest to the Sun) and aphelion (the end farthest from the Sun). In conclusion, this research substantiates that the orbits of planets in the solar system are elliptical, consistent with Kepler's laws.

Keywords

Orbital Eccentricity , Planets , Manual Simulation , Digital Visualization

Orbital Eccentricity Study of Planets: A Comparative Analysis of Manual Simulation and Digital Visualization

Abstract

Bu çalışma, gezegen yörüngelerinin anlaşılmasının astronomi eğitimindeki temel kavramlardan biri olmasına rağmen ortaöğretim düzeyindeki öğrencilerin yörüngelerin biçimini ve özelliklerini kavramada önemli güçlükler yaşadığını vurgulamaktadır. Özellikle yörüngelerin kusursuz birer çember olmayıp değişen dışmerkezlik derecelerine sahip elipsler şeklinde olması, öğrencilerin hem çizim yaparken hem de dışmerkezlik hesaplamaya çalışırken zorlanmalarına neden olmaktadır. Bu araştırma, gezegen yörüngelerinin biçimi ve dışmerkezlik kavramının öğretiminde iki pedagojik yaklaşımın —manuel simülasyon ve dijital simülasyon— etkililiğini incelemeyi ve karşılaştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmada, iki yöntemin etkililiğini betimlemek ve karşılaştırmak üzere betimsel-karşılaştırmalı araştırma deseni kullanılmıştır. Uzman görüşü doğrultusunda yapılandırılan deneysel uygulama kapsamında dört nitelikli astronomi eğitimcisi her iki yöntemi de gerçekleştirmiştir. Manuel simülasyon sürecinde öğrencilerden yörünge çizimleri yapmaları ve dışmerkezlik değerlerini elle hesaplamaları istenirken, dijital simülasyon sürecinde gezegen hareketlerini görselleştiren yazılımlar kullanılmıştır. Her iki yaklaşımın etkililiği, öğrencilerin karşılaştığı güçlükler ve kavrama düzeyleri dört uzmanla gerçekleştirilen odak grup görüşmeleri aracılığıyla değerlendirilmiştir. Manuel uygulamanın sonuçlarına göre yörünge dışmerkezliği 0,2 ile 0,4 arasında değişmekte olup gezegen yörüngelerinin eliptik olduğunu göstermektedir. Bu bulgular, Güneş’in odaklardan birinde yer aldığı eliptik yörüngeleri tanımlayan Kepler yasalarıyla uyumludur. NASA Eyes uygulamasından elde edilen sonuçlar da gezegenlerin hem Güneş’e en yakın noktaları olan günberi konumlarında hem de en uzak noktaları olan günöte konumlarında eliptik yörüngelere sahip olduğunu doğrulamaktadır. Sonuç olarak, bu çalışma Güneş Sistemi’ndeki gezegenlerin yörüngelerinin Kepler yasalarıyla tutarlı biçimde eliptik olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

Eccentricity , Planets , Manual Simulation , Digital Visualization

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