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What shape of the planets orbit?

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Anonymous

11y ago
Updated: 9/27/2022

The planets orbit in an ellipse. An ellipse is described as a geometric shape where the sum of the distance from the foci at any point is the same. An ellipse has three main points. Two foci and a center like a circle. While a true circle has all its external points equidistant from its center, an ellipse measures its points from the foci, which are equidistant to the center point at on both sides.

The planets ellipse is closer to a circle than an all out ellipse, however, the orbit is still a true ellipse.

It is also true that the shape of a planet's orbit (an ellipse) is a conic section, i.e. the intersection of a right circular cone where the intersecting plane is not perpendicular to the cone's axis, but less than being parallel to one of the cone's nappes.

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Zackery Schumm

Lvl 13
2y ago

What else can I help you with?