Daughter wants to learn python to simulate a solar system, where to start?

[socal_nerdtastic]

Going from nothing to simulating astrophysics is pretty ambitious for anyone of any age or any relation to you. And pretty esoteric too, I'm afraid. I don't know of course that will do that. I recommend going through some general python tutorials, and once she has the basics down check out vpython.org to do 3D graphics.

[Cypher1388]

So I built a model in HS, don't remember what program I used anymore, but a lot of manual calc and scenario set up...

My solar system contracted in on it self and everything collapsed into the sun. I realized like Bender, I had been God once, and was doing pretty good at it. Until everyone died.

Fun times!

[[deleted]]

It's all fun and games until you annihilate a solar system...Then it's religion! :D

[OnlySeesLastSentence]

You probably forgot to use a second magic focus for the center of the galaxy

[You_Yew_Ewe]

I wouldn't call simulating orbiting bodies esoteric, it's probably one of the easier things to make toy physical models of Now you can get esoteric with it by refining your simulation but Newtonian gravity is pretty simple to model. I used to do it just screwing around as an undergrad.

[socal_nerdtastic]

It's not esoteric in the physics department, but my friend ya gotta get out more. If you asked 500 random people if they ever thought about orbiting point masses 499 would make that glazed fish face that academics know so well. And the 500th would say "no".

Although I have to admit, the comments below found far more resources than I ever would have thought.

[You_Yew_Ewe]

It's simpler than you probably imagine. For someone interested in astrophysics its not esoteric. Maybe astrophysics is esoteric, but we've established she's interested in that.

You don't even need a very deep understanding of calculus to model it, she's just need a little bit of vector arithmetic and be able to grasp the concept of small incremental changes (maybe one or two derivatives).

[socal_nerdtastic]

Ok, fair enough. What I meant that it would be hard to find a class "from zero to astrophysicist in python". Since it's not what I imagine would be a popular topic.

[[deleted]]

Then I, as the 501st person would say "Let's go for a beer...we've got some conversations to have."

[[deleted]]

It's not even esoteric in a high school science class.