School Science Experiment! :D

[freespace]

Originally Posted by bojan

Apart from Jupiter moons orbits, you could try to calculate the orbital elements of one of asteroids (Vesta, for example) from couple of observations (measurement of positions).
If you are interested, I can send you a BASIC program that does that (it is developed by Erich Karkoschka in '70ies, to be used during Astronomy Summer school held in Europe in those days, for exactly that sort of things. It is also useful for newly discovered comets etc). You could try to convert it into C++ :-)

Sif C++. Don't touch C++ with a 10 foot pole until you already know one other language well. Otherwise it will most likely turn you off and frustrate you beyond help.

Try python or java, don't use .net.

[PeteMo (Pete)]

You could always do what we did as one of projects on a uni course. Measure the siderial day!
Basically you pick a couple of stars that are low enough on the horizon to pass behind a building or structure that is vertical. Find a place like a wall to lean against where you can clearly see the star go behind the builiding. You note the time and date that the object disappears from view behind said vertical building or structure. Do this for a few nights over a couple of months. Then finally plot a graph of your times. You should notice that the Siderial day (measured by stars) is a bit shorter than a 24 hour solar day (measured by the sun).

The beauty of this experiment is that you don't need any fancy gear, but you will need a digital watch and a bulding like a tower block, office block or church and an observation point like a wall that you view the object from every time in the same position (or as close as possible). Your mates can do it too! Then again you have a dob so may be something Jovian related may be better.

[Mr. Subatomic]

Thanks guys these are all really good ideaS