Planets orbit in ellipses from "summary" of Astronomy and Astro-physics by
Planets in our solar system move in an elliptical path around the Sun, following a set orbit determined by its mass, period and other factors. This motion is commonly known as an elliptical orbit, and it is a fundamental feature of the solar system.- Our Solar System is composed of planets that all revolve around a central star called the Sun in an elliptical orbit.
- All of these orbiting objects, including planets, asteroids, comets and moons, are affected by gravitation from the Sun and therefore move in paths governed by Newton’s laws of motion.
- As the orbiting bodies traverse their orbits, their speed and distance from the Sun varies due to gravitational forces and other influences.
- To describe these orbits mathematically, astronomers use the concept of an ellipse - a symmetrical closed curve with two foci - which has the property of making the sum of the distances from any point to each focus always equal.
- The shape of this orbit is determined by two factors: the force exerted by gravity from the Sun and the initial velocity of the planet when it was formed.
- This means that every celestial body follows its own path, which can vary greatly depending on its characteristics such as mass, density and distance from the Sun.
- Understanding how these trajectories work allow us to better understand the fundamental dynamics of our Solar System and how the planets interact with one another.
- Ellipses are special cases of conic sections, along with parabolas and hyperbolas, but are characterised by being completely closed inside a given area.
