The climate last about 1 million years has been largely determined but the change of the eccentricity (elongation) of Earth’s orbit (One of the Milankovitch cycles.

The glacial cycles (daily speaking: ice ages) with a period of about 100 000 years are thought to be due to this.

Theory: The gravity from the other planets, especially Jupiter, causes the change of the eccentricity.

Problem: Reproduce Milankovitch cycle of eccentricity (100ka)

Method: Use Python

Let’s go for functional programming

Input: Some initial positions of the planets but no external data

Perhaps also user input of length of simulation

Output: Graph of orbits and a timeseries of an eccentricity parameter

Development steps (we extend the program with iterations)

1. Earth-sun system

2. Add Jupiter

3. Make modular

4. Add more planets?