1. What is the Eccentricity of Elliptical Orbit?

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, where 0 represents a circular orbit and values approaching 1 indicate highly elliptical orbits.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the formula:

Where:

• \( e \) — Eccentricity of Elliptical Orbit
• \( d_{foci} \) — Distance Between Two Foci (meters)
• \( a_e \) — Semi Major Axis of Elliptic Orbit (meters)

Explanation: The eccentricity is calculated by dividing the distance between the two foci by twice the semi-major axis length.

3. Importance of Eccentricity Calculation

Details: Calculating orbital eccentricity is crucial for understanding orbital mechanics, predicting satellite trajectories, and analyzing planetary motions in astronomy and aerospace engineering.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the distance between two foci and semi-major axis values in meters. Both values must be positive numbers greater than zero for accurate calculation.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What is the range of possible eccentricity values?
A: Eccentricity values range from 0 (perfect circle) to values approaching 1 (highly elliptical orbit). A value of 1 represents a parabolic orbit.

Q2: How does eccentricity affect orbital period?
A: For a given semi-major axis, eccentricity does not affect the orbital period according to Kepler's third law. The period depends only on the semi-major axis.

Q3: What are typical eccentricity values for planetary orbits?
A: Most planets in our solar system have low eccentricities (0.01-0.09), while comets and some asteroids can have much higher eccentricities (0.5-0.99).

Q4: Can eccentricity be greater than 1?
A: For elliptical orbits, eccentricity is always less than 1. Values greater than 1 indicate hyperbolic orbits (escape trajectories).

Q5: How is eccentricity related to orbital energy?
A: For a given semi-major axis, higher eccentricity means the orbit has the same total energy but different distribution between kinetic and potential energy throughout the orbit.