Is the sun at the focus of parabolic and hyperbolic trajectories?

[IPhO' 2008]

In the Parabolic and Hyperbolic trajectory.Is the sun in the focus point of parabola and hyperbola?

 

[tiny-tim]

Hi IPhO' 2008!

In the Parabolic and Hyperbolic trajectory.Is the sun in the focus point of parabola and hyperbola?

Yup!

 

[Jolb]

To be more precise, the focus is at the center of mass (CM) of the two objects. If the body on a parabolic/hyperbolic trajectory had a mass comparable to that of the sun, the CM might be outside the surface of the sun.

It might interest you that the CM of the Sun-Jupiter system is outside the surface of the sun by about .12 solar radii = 83,500 km.

 

[IPhO' 2008]

Thank you.