Prof. Sam Lawler @sundogplanets@mastodon.social
Public

In 1964, the first simulation showing that Pluto is in a mean-motion resonance with Neptune was published: articles.adsabs.harvard.edu/pd

They ran a 120,000 year simulation that showed libration of the resonant angle for the first time. This must have been terrifyingly hard to do. Punch cards, vacuum tubes, FORTRAN? I don't even know how they did this, but it was run on the Naval Ordnance Research Calculator

This was the first time Pluto's orbital stability was explained.

A figure from a paper showing Pluto's motion relative to Neptune's over 120,000 years. Pluto makes almost a circle, but with two little loops 90 degrees from Neptune's position.
Prof. Sam Lawler @sundogplanets@mastodon.social
Public

You know who did a lot of programming on the Naval Ordnance Research Computer and was brilliant and good at orbits? Gladys West!

This archived Air Force bio says she was involved in the Pluto study web.archive.org/web/2019060317

But the paper is credited as Cohen & Hubbard 1964. Because she was "just" a programmer, and the research note linked above starts and ends with "gentlemen", so yeah, they definitely didn't want to put her as a co-author.

Mathematician inducted into Space and Missiles Pioneers Hall of Fame

Mathematician inducted into Space and Missiles Pioneers Hall of Fame

web.archive.org · Air Force Space Command

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