Kepler and Gravitation

Kepler and Gravitation - - The eccentricity is a measure of...

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Kepler and Gravitation Terms Period - The period of an orbit, usually denoted $T$, is the total time taken for an object to complete one full revolution on its orbit. Kepler's First Law - The planets orbit the sun in ellipses, with the sun at one focus. Kepler's Second Law - The radius of a planet sweeps out a constant area per unit time. Kepler's Third Law - $$T^2 = \frac{4\pi^2a^3}{GM}$$ where $T$ is the period, $G$ is the gravitational constant, and $M$ is the mass of the sun. Eccentricity
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Unformatted text preview: - The eccentricity is a measure of the elongation of an ellipse. It is defined as: $$\epsilon = \sqrt{1 - \frac{b^2}{a^2}}$$ where $a$ and $b$ are the semimajor and semiminor axis lengths respectively. Aphelion - The point of a planet's furthest distance from the sun on its orbit. Perihelion - Is the point of a planet's closest approach to the sun. Apogee - For an earth orbit, the furthest distance from the earth. Perigee - For an earth orbit, the closest distance to the earth....
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