Home
Back
Buckling Stiffness Factor Formula:
| From: | To: |
The Buckling Stiffness Factor, also known as Eccentricity of Elliptical Orbit, is a measure of how stretched or elongated the orbit's shape is. It quantifies the deviation of the orbit from a perfect circle.
The calculator uses the eccentricity formula:
Where:
Explanation: The eccentricity ranges from 0 (perfect circle) to values approaching 1 (highly elongated ellipse). It describes the shape of the orbital path.
Details: Calculating orbital eccentricity is crucial for understanding orbital mechanics, predicting satellite trajectories, and analyzing celestial body movements in astronomy and aerospace engineering.
Tips: Enter the distance between two foci and the semi-major axis in meters. Both values must be positive numbers greater than zero for accurate calculation.
Q1: What does an eccentricity of 0 mean?
A: An eccentricity of 0 indicates a perfect circular orbit where both foci coincide at the center.
Q2: What is the maximum possible eccentricity value?
A: For elliptical orbits, eccentricity ranges from 0 to just below 1. A value of 1 represents a parabolic orbit, and greater than 1 represents a hyperbolic orbit.
Q3: How does eccentricity affect orbital period?
A: According to Kepler's third law, the orbital period depends only on the semi-major axis, not on eccentricity. Different eccentricities with the same semi-major axis have the same orbital period.
Q4: What are typical eccentricity values for planetary orbits?
A: Most planets in our solar system have low eccentricities (close to 0). Mercury has the highest at about 0.21, while Earth's is approximately 0.017.
Q5: Can eccentricity change over time?
A: Yes, gravitational perturbations from other bodies can cause gradual changes in orbital eccentricity over long periods through processes like orbital resonance.