Overview of Kepler's Laws definitions Flashcards

A German astronomer who formulated three fundamental laws of planetary motion.

Geometric shapes of orbits with two focal points, one of which is occupied by the sun.

Two fixed points in an ellipse, one of which is occupied by the sun in planetary orbits.

A measure of how much an orbit deviates from being circular, ranging from 0 to 1.

The time taken for a celestial body to complete one full orbit around another body.

The average distance from the center of an orbiting body to the center of the body it orbits.

States that all planetary orbits are elliptical with the sun at one focus.

Describes how a line segment joining a planet and the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal times.

Establishes a proportional relationship between the square of the orbital period and the cube of the orbital radius.

A consistent ratio between two quantities, such as T^2 and R^3 in Kepler's Third Law.

Natural objects in space, such as planets, stars, and comets, that follow Kepler's laws.

Celestial objects with highly elliptical orbits, often with eccentricities close to 1.

A property of a celestial body that influences the constant ratio in Kepler's Third Law.

The unchanging value of R^3/T^2 for planets orbiting the same star, dependent on the star's mass.

The collection of celestial bodies, including planets and comets, orbiting the sun.