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kamalee
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Why is Earth's path is elliptical?why not circular?
Why should it be circular?kamalee said:Why is Earth's path is elliptical?why not circular?
BosonJaw said:Do any truly circular orbits exist (Eccentricity = 0)?
Well, the answer can be seen in probability: Since, as Garth said, 0 is just one possible eccentricity, the odds of that happening are infinitessimaly small. So no, it would really be impossible to have an exactly zero eccentricity.BosonJaw said:Do any truly circular orbits exist (Eccentricity = 0)?
Visualedtech said:There is a simple explanation. The sun is in motion. It is not static in the universe.
The Earth revolves around a moving object. Hence an elliptical orbit.
No Math required on this one.
Visualedtech, stick to what you know. Your knowledge of orbital mechanics is ... limited.Visualedtech said:There is a simple explanation. The sun is in motion. It is not static in the universe.
The Earth revolves around a moving object. Hence an elliptical orbit.
No Math required on this one.
The Earth's path is elliptical because of the gravitational pull of the sun. The sun's gravity causes the Earth to orbit in an elliptical shape rather than a perfect circle.
The Earth's distance from the sun changes as it travels along its elliptical orbit. When the Earth is closest to the sun, it is at its perihelion and when it is farthest from the sun, it is at its aphelion.
The Earth's elliptical orbit is primarily influenced by the gravitational pull of the sun, but other factors such as the gravitational pull of other planets and the Earth's own rotation also play a role.
The Earth's elliptical orbit does not have a significant impact on seasonal changes. The tilt of the Earth's axis is the main factor that causes seasons, not the shape of its orbit.
Yes, the Earth's elliptical orbit can change over time due to various factors such as the gravitational pull of other planets and the gradual slowing down of the Earth's rotation. However, these changes are very small and occur over long periods of time.