Orbital Motion Characteristics

Set of flashcards designed to help understand key concepts related to orbital motion and celestial bodies in our solar system.

Ellipse

A closed curve where the sum of the distances from two foci is constant, used to describe the orbits of celestial bodies.

Perihelion

The point in an orbit where a celestial body is closest to the Sun.

Aphelion

The point in an orbit where a celestial body is farthest from the Sun.

Eccentricity

A parameter that describes the flatness of an ellipse, ranging from 0 to 1.

Revolution

The motion of a celestial body orbiting around the Sun.

Rotation

The spin of a celestial body on its own axis.

Newton's Universal Law of Gravity

The law that describes the gravitational attraction between two bodies and relates orbital radius, velocity, and period.

Inclination

The tilt of a planet's orbital plane in relation to Earth's orbit, measured in degrees.

Prograde

The direction in which most planets and celestial bodies orbit, the same as the Sun's rotation.

Perturbations

Small disturbances in the motion of celestial bodies caused by gravitational interactions.

Circumbinary planets

Planets that orbit around a binary star system.

Nemesis Hypothesis

The theory that a companion star to the Sun exists and could explain mass extinctions on Earth.