eccentricity review (you need your ESRTs!)

Front

What is eccentricity in the context of orbits?

Back

Eccentricity is a measure of how much an orbit deviates from being circular. It ranges from 0 (perfect circle) to 1 (parabolic trajectory).

Front

What is the eccentricity of a perfect circle?

Back

0.000

Front

Which planet has the most elliptical orbit?

Back

Mercury.

Front

What is the eccentricity of Earth's orbit around the Sun?

Back

0.017.

Front

What does an eccentricity of 1 indicate?

Back

An eccentricity of 1 indicates a parabolic trajectory, which is not a closed orbit.

Front

Which planet has an orbital eccentricity most similar to that of the Moon?

Back

Saturn.

Front

How does eccentricity affect the gravitational attraction between a star and a planet?

Back

The gravitational attraction is greatest when the planet is closest to the star, which occurs at the periapsis of the orbit.

Front

What is the range of values for eccentricity?

Back

Eccentricity values range from 0 to 1 for elliptical orbits.

Front

What is the significance of an eccentricity value of 0.5?

Back

An eccentricity of 0.5 indicates a moderately elliptical orbit.

Front

How does the shape of an orbit change as eccentricity increases?

Back

As eccentricity increases, the orbit becomes more elongated and less circular.