Why is earth's path is elliptical?

  • Thread starter kamalee
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Path
In summary: If you want to talk about the shapes of orbits, you should probably consult more recent sources. In summary, Earth's orbit is elliptical because the sun is in motion, and it's not possible to have an orbit with an eccentricity of zero.
  • #1
kamalee
1
0
Why is Earth's path is elliptical?why not circular?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org
  • #2
Welcome to these Forums kamalee!

kamalee said:
Why is Earth's path is elliptical?why not circular?
Why should it be circular?

A circular orbit is a special case of the general elliptical orbit in which the eccentricity is exactly zero.

As nothing is exact in the real world the Earth's orbital eccentricity is near zero but not exactly zero.

In fact e = 0.016722, therefore its orbit is elliptical, just as Kepler's laws says it should be...

Garth
 
Last edited:
  • #3
Do any truly circular orbits exist (Eccentricity = 0)?
 
  • #4
BosonJaw said:
Do any truly circular orbits exist (Eccentricity = 0)?

None of the planets have 0 eccentricity. I suspect most of the artificial Earth satellites have a very small eccentricity, so it is possible one or more might be zero. However it would be hard to maintain since the moon would exert some perturbing force.
 
  • #5
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.
 
  • #6
Thanks Guys!
 
  • #7
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.
 
  • #8
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.

As someone mentioned in the other thread, that's incorrect. The Sun doesn't care whether it's in motion or not; there's no way to tell anyhow because there is no privileged reference frame.

When talking about the shapes of orbits, it's usually done from the reference frame of the barycenter. Obviously, an orbit's shape is going to be different if you watch it from, say, the reference frame of a cosmic ray.
 
  • #9
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.


Also, this post is two years old.
 

1. Why is the Earth's path elliptical?

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.

2. How does the elliptical path affect the Earth's distance from the sun?

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.

3. What factors contribute to the Earth's elliptical orbit?

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.

4. How does the Earth's elliptical orbit impact seasons?

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.

5. Can the Earth's elliptical orbit change over time?

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.

Similar threads

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
27
Views
2K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
10
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
12
Views
608
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • Introductory Physics Homework Help
Replies
13
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
19
Views
1K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
18
Views
3K
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
4
Views
889
  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
Replies
4
Views
487
Back
Top