About the Earth's orbital velocity

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SUMMARY

The Earth's orbital speed varies slightly throughout the year due to its elliptical orbit, with speeds ranging from approximately 29 km/s to 30 km/s. While the distance between the Earth and the Sun changes daily, the variation in orbital speed is minimal on a day-to-day basis. The distinction between speed and velocity is crucial; velocity is a vector quantity that includes direction, which changes daily by nearly 1 degree. Therefore, while the Earth's speed remains relatively constant, its velocity does experience minor daily fluctuations.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of orbital mechanics
  • Familiarity with vector quantities
  • Basic knowledge of elliptical orbits
  • Awareness of Earth's orbital parameters
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of Kepler's laws of planetary motion
  • Explore the concept of orbital eccentricity and its effects
  • Learn about the calculation of orbital speed using the formula v = 2πr/T
  • Investigate the impact of gravitational forces on orbital dynamics
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Astronomy enthusiasts, physics students, and educators seeking to understand the nuances of Earth's orbital mechanics and the differences between speed and velocity.

mazen_zone
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i want to know if the Earth change its orbital velocity along the day?

as i heard that due to its elliptical shape the distance between the Earth and the sun slightly change during the day (increase then decrease again) ,so the orbital velocity also has to change to compensate this change in distance...
 
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Not over the course of a day, but over the course of a year the Earth's orbital velocity varies as its orbital distance varies.
 
mazen_zone said:
i want to know if the Earth change its orbital velocity along the day?

as i heard that due to its elliptical shape the distance between the Earth and the sun slightly change during the day (increase then decrease again) ,so the orbital velocity also has to change to compensate this change in distance...

It does, although based on the context of your question, it seems like you are referring to speed, not velocity. So this is just a small nit-pick of your use of the word 'velocity'.

Velocity is a vector quantity, so direction must be taken into account. Every day, our direction changes by nearly 1 degree. It's our orbital speed that doesn't change much during the course of a year. It takes about 6 months go go from minimum speed of about 29 km/s to maximum of about 30 km/s, so over the course of a day, there is not much change.
 

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