Orbital Period
Under standard assumptions the orbital period of a body traveling along an elliptic orbit can be computed as:
where:
- is standard gravitational parameter,
- is length of semi-major axis.
Conclusions:
- The orbital period is equal to that for a circular orbit with the orbit radius equal to the semi-major axis ,
- For a given semi-major axis the orbital period does not depend on the eccentricity (See also: Kepler's third law).
Read more about this topic: Elliptic Orbit
Famous quotes containing the word period:
“There is always a period when a man with a beard shaves it off. This period does not last. He returns headlong to his beard.”
—Jean Cocteau (18891963)
Related Phrases
Related Words