Es12

Planets and Orbits

Objective: to be able to calculate eccentricity of orbits

Order of planets

My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Noodles

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,(Asteroids) Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Gravity

Planets orbit around the sun due to gravity

Gravity weakens with increased distance

(think magnetism)

Ellipse

The shape of orbits.

Terms to know

FOCIMAJOR AXISMINOR AXIS

Eccentricity

Eccentricity: shape of an ellipse.

0 = circle1 = straight line

(bigger the #, more squashed the ellipse)

Eccentricity = distance b/t foci/length of major axis

E = D/L

E=D/L

E= D/L

Distance between foci = 152 – 147 = 5 (million) km

Length of major axis = 147 + 152 (million) km = 299 million km

E = D/L = 5/299 = .017

Problem #1

Problem 2