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What is the semi-major axis of the Earths orbit around the Sun?
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
The maximum amount of an ellipse is called its major axis, and half of this distance is the semi major axiswhich is usually used to give the size of an ellipse. The semi major axis of Earths orbit, for example, is 150 million kilometers. It represents the average distance between the Earth and the sun and is called astronomical unit, or one AU
Wiki User
∙ 15y ago
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What affects seasonal change more Earth's tilted axis or the distance to the sun during Earths orbit?
seasons are caused by the tilt of the earth. since the earth is in a slight eliptical orbit around the sun, when we are closer to the sun in January is where the northern hemisphere will still have winter and further from the sun in July when summer occurs. this is expected to flip in 26,000 years because of earths 3rd axis known as axial precession
How long does earth take to orbit around its axis?
It does NOT orbit on its axis, but rotates on its axis. It takes 24 hours, one day, to make one complete rotation. However, It does ORBIT the Sun. It takes the Earth 365.25 days, one year, for make one complete orbit of the Sun. Whilst it is making this orbit it is also rotating on its axis, as above.
Define orbit and axis of the planets?
The orbit of a planet is the path it takes on its journey around the sun. The axis is an imaginary line through the planet from pole to pole about which the planet revolves or spins.
Which part of the Moon's orbit around earth?
All part of the moon orbit around earth. Orbit mean moving around a centre object. It is different from rotation around its' axis for which, the moon show only the front part to earth.
How long does earth take to orbit on its own axis?
earth takes 24hours to orbit on its axis
How do Kepler's 3 laws of motion combined with the parts of an ellipse explain the amount of time it takes for a planet to orbit the sun based on its length?
One of the parts of an ellipse is the length of its major axis. Half that is called the semimajor axis. Kepler's 3rd law says that the time to do one orbit is proportional to the 3/2 power of the semimajor axis. IF the semimajor axis is one astronomical unit the period is one year (the Earth). For a planet with a semimajor axis of 4 AUs the period would have to be 8 years, by Kepler-3.
How do Keplers 3 laws of motion combined with the parts of an ellipse explain the amount of time it takes for a planet to orbit the sun based on its length?
One of the parts of an ellipse is the length of its major axis. Half that is called the semimajor axis. Kepler's 3rd law says that the time to do one orbit is proportional to the 3/2 power of the semimajor axis. IF the semimajor axis is one astronomical unit the period is one year (the Earth). For a planet with a semimajor axis of 4 AUs the period would have to be 8 years, by Kepler-3.
What planet has the smallest orbit how did you arrive at your answer?
Mercury has the smallest orbit. The semimajor axis of Mercury's orbit is about 58 million kilometers, which is the smallest of all of the planets.
Why does mercury orbit the sun first?
(I'm going to assume that when you said "first" you meant "fastest," because otherwise the question is nonsense.) Because of Kepler's Third Law. The orbital period for a body is related to the semimajor axis of its orbit. Mercury's orbit has the shortest semimajor axis of all the Solar planets, and therefore it has the shortest orbital period.
What is the earths axis parallel to?
orbit of the moon
What is the earths axis and orbit?
No, it is not. It is tilted in comparison to the Earth's orbit around the Sun. This is why we have different times of seasons in the northern and southern hemisphere.
What is a semimajor axis of an ellipse?
The major axis is the diameter across the widest part. The semimajor axis is half that, and for a planet it's the average of the maximum and minimum distances from the Sun .
Two reasons for seasons?
1. Tilt of earths axis 2. Earths axis remains parallel throughout its yearly orbit.
Suppose astronomers discover a new planet orbiting your sunthe orbit has a semimajor axis of 2.52 AU what is the planets period of revolution?
4 years
What are the earths two principal motions?
Rotation- the spinning of earth about its axis Revolution- movement of earth in its orbit around the sun :)
How does the earths orbit around the sun cause the seasons?
Actually, it doesn't. The TILT of the Earth on it axis causes seasonal changes.
Why isn't there 2 eclipses every time the moon orbits the earth?
Because the sun, moon and earth are not always in alignment. The moon does not orbit the earth about the earths equator. The earths axis is tilted so the orbit around the sun does not always align with that of the moons orbit around the earth
