The Physics of Planetary Oscillations - Potential Energy Analysis of Circular Orbits

Explore the fascinating physics behind planetary oscillations in this 16-minute video from For the Love of Physics. Delve into the concept of stable circular orbits as a result of minimum energy in potential energy diagrams. Discover how perturbing a planet from its equilibrium position leads to simple harmonic oscillations about its radius. Learn to analyze this phenomenon through potential energy analysis and calculate the angular frequency and time period of these oscillations. Gain valuable insights into central forces and planetary motion in this concise yet comprehensive exploration of orbital mechanics.