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Why your planets revolve in elliptical orbit rather than circular orbit?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Circular orbits are unstable; any outside influence (i.e. other planets) will distort them.
Elliptical orbits are self adjusting.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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Who proposed that orbits of the planet are elliptical and the sun is at one focus?
Johannes Kepler in 1619 first realized that planetary orbits were elliptical rather than circular.
Why do planets have elliptical orbits and not circular orbits?
Planets have elliptical orbits rather than perfect circular orbits due to the way gravitational forces work in the solar system. The fundamental reason for this is the influence of gravity, which is governed by Newton's law of universal gravitation. When a planet orbits a star (such as our Sun), both the planet and the star exert gravitational forces on each other. These forces determine the shape of the planet's orbit. Here's why planets have elliptical orbits: 1. Gravitational Attraction: According to Newton's law of universal gravitation, every object with mass attracts every other object with mass. This attraction is stronger when the masses are larger and decreases as the distance between the masses increases. 2. Conservation of Angular Momentum: As a planet forms from a swirling cloud of gas and dust, it has some initial angular momentum, which is a measure of its rotation and orbital motion combined. This angular momentum is conserved throughout the planet's formation and evolution. 3. Centripetal Force: As the planet moves in its orbit, it experiences a centripetal force directed toward the center of the star. This force is necessary to keep the planet in orbit and is provided by the gravitational attraction between the planet and the star. 4. Variability of Gravitational Force: The gravitational force between the planet and the star varies as the distance between them changes during the orbit. When the planet is closer to the star (perihelion), the gravitational force is stronger, and when it is farther away (aphelion), the gravitational force is weaker. 5. Elliptical Orbits: The combination of the planet's initial angular momentum and the varying strength of gravitational forces as it moves in its orbit results in an elliptical shape. An ellipse is a type of elongated circle where the distance between two foci (in this case, the star) remains constant. In some cases, orbits may appear almost circular, especially for planets that have relatively small eccentricities (a measure of how elongated the ellipse is). For example, the orbits of the planets in our solar system are nearly circular but still slightly elliptical. Reference: AnswerChamp
Which astronomers proposed that the Earth and other planets revolved around the sun?
Nicolaus Copernicus is counted as the 1st scientist to actually publish the theory of the planets revolving around the Sun, rather than the Sun and other planets revolving around the Earth. Galileo Galilei, easily the most famous and popular scientist of the century, publicly supported the Copernican theory and was arrested by Italian church authorities for doing so.Tycho Brahe used observing instruments of his own design to collect orbital data on the planets, which confirmed the plausibility of the Copernican theory, as well as making it possible for Johannes Kepler to determine that all objects orbit the Sun in elliptical rather than circular orbits.
Do planets orbit in a circle around the sun?
NO!!! They orbit in an ellipsoidal fashion. From a given starting point the planet will trace an ellipse back toi its original starting point. However, that ellipse orbit doesn't quite close up, but overlaps, hence the word. ellipsoidal'. This was first observed by Mercury's track about the Sun. The Sun lies at one of the foci (Not focuses), of the ellipse. The other focus may be though of as a 'blind' focus. The Sun does NOT lie at the centre of the ellipose. This ellipse can stretch to a long narrow ellipse, or 'fatten' to a nearly circular ellipose. All this occurs over thousands of years. Have a search in Wikipedia , for Johannes Kepler and separatelt Milutin Milankovic(h).
Why do planets go in elliptical orbits and not in circular orbits?
If a single planet formed around a single star, it is possible it's orbit could eventually assume an almost nearly perfect circularity. But planet formation is typically messy, as planetesimals collide and bind together. The formation of other planets induces further orbital perturbations.
What is the shape of Saturn's orbit?
Like the other planets, Uranus has an elliptical orbit as it moves around the sun rather than a circular orbit. Uranus has an axial tilt of 99 degrees, which is a lot, considering the axial tilt of the Earth is 23.5 degrees.
Does the moon revolve round the planets?
Moons orbit planets Or rather moons and planets orbit their barycenter.
Did Johannes Kepler invent the radio?
No. Johannes Kepler lived centuries before the invention of Radio. Kepler was the first to recognize that the orbits of the planets were elliptical rather than circular.
How does newtons gravitational law helps to discover new planets?
When a planet moves around a star, it causes the star to wobble a bit from side to side as planets follow an elliptical orbit rather than a circular orbit. Astronomers can then use this fact to see whether stars have planets.
What astronomer discovered that the orbits of the planets are elliptical rather than round?
Johannes Kepler.
Who proposed that orbits of the planet are elliptical and the sun is at one focus?
Johannes Kepler in 1619 first realized that planetary orbits were elliptical rather than circular.
Who replaced circles with ellipses in a helicentric model of the universe?
Johannes Kepler replaced circles with ellipses in the heliocentric model of the universe.
Why are planets that orbit around the Sun and satellites that orbit around these planets always called ellipses rather than perfect circles?
The planets, and the satellites that orbit around them, are affected by gravity from the sun and other celestial objects. The effects of gravity at different locations during their orbits prevent their orbits from being circular, and they become elliptical (more or less egg-shapped).
Upon which point do Copernicus and Kepler disagree?
Kepler thought that the planets were all rotating on giant celestial spheres which were stacked between the 5 platonic solids. You can read about this in his book: Mysterium Cosmographicum Copernicus thought the planets orbits are circular, kepler decided they are elliptical. This however took him many years to discover, as also he thought that they were circular for a very long time. It was when one of the top astronomers of that time died (Tycho Brathe) and he got hold of his data that Kepler could finally make accurate calculations. From these calculations he found that the planets must have elliptical orbits, and he chose to believe Brathe's data rather than the age old belief in circular orbits.
How would a circular orbit affect Kepler's second and third law?
The whole basis of Kepler's laws are on the fact that the planets in our solar system in an elliptical pattern rather than a circular pattern. This would make a world of difference. I am not sure on restating the laws, but I am sure it would be somewhere along the lines of a change in the equation and the fact that all the planets would orbit equally around the sun, at the same speed, no matter where each individual planet is in its orbital loop.
How would a circular orbit affect the Kepler's second and third law?
The whole basis of Kepler's laws are on the fact that the planets in our solar system in an elliptical pattern rather than a circular pattern. This would make a world of difference. I am not sure on restating the laws, but I am sure it would be somewhere along the lines of a change in the equation and the fact that all the planets would orbit equally around the sun, at the same speed, no matter where each individual planet is in its orbital loop.
Does mars orbit the sun in a circle shape?
No. A circle is an unstable shape for an object orbiting another. An orbit is between slightly and very elliptical (egg-shaped). If an object is placed in a circular orbit, the orbit will quickly deteriorate to an elliptical orbit. Added: Mar's elliptical eccentricity is rather above average for a planetary orbit. Not quite as large as Mercury, but large enough.
