by a surprise
The orbits of planets are elliptical in shape, with the Sun located at one of the two foci of the ellipse. This discovery was made by Johannes Kepler in the early 17th century, after analyzing the precise astronomical data gathered by Tycho Brahe. Kepler formulated his First Law of Planetary Motion, which states that planets move in elliptical orbits, revolutionizing the understanding of celestial mechanics and replacing the earlier belief in circular orbits.
Johannes Kepler made the discovery of the planets' elliptical orbits in the early 17th century. He used observational data gathered by Tycho Brahe to formulate his three laws of planetary motion, which defined the precise shape and behavior of the orbits. This groundbreaking work laid the foundation for our modern understanding of planetary motion.
by a surprise
Careful and meticulous astronomical measurements by the astronomer Tycho Brahe followed by numerical analysis of that data by Johannes Kepler after Tycho's death.
Aristotle.
Are all orbits the same shape????
Most orbits are ellipses.
An elliptical shape.
The shape is an "ellipse".
The moon orbits the earth almost a complete circle.
circular
According to Kepler's laws of planetary motion, planetary orbits are in the shape of an ellipse with the Sun at one of the foci.