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MODELING THE ORBITAL DYNAMICS OF SUPER EARTH KEPLER-62F

Abstract

NASA's Kepler mission to survey a portion of the Milky Way Galaxy for exoplanets was a resounding success, giving us over 2,600 exoplanets to study. Kepler-62f is one planet discovered from this mission on a shortlist for possible habitability, as it orbits within the habitable zone of its host star. Therefore, there is a possibility for water to exist on the surface of the planet. We have simulated the orbital dynamics of Kepler-62f around its host star using Jupyter notebook and Rebound. Rebound offers visualization capabilities for simulation results, making it easier to evaluate complex orbital dynamics. Data gathered and assumptions made on the Kepler-62 system from previous studies and our created simulations may give us further insight into the orbital nature and possible habitability of the system. The result of this study was visual data of the star system's state after a couple hundred thousand years, with the effects of Kepler-62f's orbit on the other planetary bodies in the system and vice versa. Studying and simulating the orbital dynamics of Kepler-62f could help us understand how other possibly habitable exoplanets orbit around their stars. Further studies of this and other star systems may lead to insights on how orbital dynamics of exoplanets affect climate and potential habitability.

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