What is the shape of an asteroid impact on Earth?

In summary, the Earth's orbit around the Sun is an elliptical orbit due to Kepler's first law, which states that orbits are elliptical in nature. This means that the gravitational force between the Earth and the Sun is not constant throughout the orbit, as the Earth moves closer and further away from the Sun. A circle is a special case of an ellipse, which is a type of "conic section" that describes all orbits and most non-orbit gravitational interactions. In the case of a collision between an asteroid and Earth, the resulting shape would likely be parabolic or hyperbolic.
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Evenlander
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The Earth's orbit around the Sun is an elliptical orbit. Why is that so?
Does that mean Sun, much like Earth bulged at some points which makes the gravitational force between Earth and Sun stronger at some points and weaker at some comparatively?
 
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No. Elliptical orbits are what you get in the gravitational field of a spherical mass (although detailed models of the solar system do include corrections for the non-sphericity of the Sun). You only get circular orbits if you set an object moving precisely tangentially at exactly the right speed. With other initial conditions they drift closer to and further away from the Sun over the course of an orbit - which means a non-circular orbit that turns out to be an ellipse.
 
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Evenlander said:
The Earth's orbit around the Sun is an elliptical orbit. Why is that so?
Does that mean Sun, much like Earth bulged at some points which makes the gravitational force between Earth and Sun stronger at some points and weaker at some comparatively?

It's Kepler's first law. See, for example:

 
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Evenlander said:
The Earth's orbit around the Sun is an elliptical orbit. Why is that so?
Does that mean Sun, much like Earth bulged at some points which makes the gravitational force between Earth and Sun stronger at some points and weaker at some comparatively?
A circle is just a symmetrical special case of an ellipse, which is also a special case of a "conic section". All orbits and most non-orbit gravitational interactions form one of these shapes. Consider if we send a space probe past an object and it doesn't orbit, but just bends a little and keeps going - that's parabolic or hyperbolic.

ConicSection_1000.gif


Bit of a trick question; what shape do you get if an asteroid collides with Earth?
 

1. How long does it take for Earth to orbit the Sun?

It takes approximately 365.24 days (or 1 year) for Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun.

2. What is the shape of Earth's orbit around the Sun?

Earth's orbit around the Sun is an ellipse, or oval shape. This means that at certain points in its orbit, Earth is closer to the Sun (perihelion) and at other points it is farther away (aphelion).

3. What causes Earth's orbit around the Sun?

Earth's orbit is primarily caused by the gravitational pull of the Sun. The Sun's mass creates a force that keeps Earth in orbit around it.

4. Is Earth's orbit around the Sun a perfect circle?

No, Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle. It is slightly elliptical, meaning that the distance between Earth and the Sun varies slightly throughout its orbit.

5. How does Earth's orbit affect the seasons?

Earth's orbit around the Sun plays a major role in the changing of seasons. The tilt of Earth's axis (23.5 degrees) causes different parts of the planet to receive varying amounts of sunlight throughout the year, which results in the different seasons.

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