Elliptic orbit

In <a href="/facts/Astrodynamics/oB3tqNG9">astrodynamics</a> or <a href="/facts/Celestial_mechanics/FA3uR78J">celestial mechanics</a>, an elliptic orbit or elliptical orbit is a <a href="/facts/Kepler_orbit/XvdtxmKl">Kepler orbit</a> with an <a href="/facts/Orbital_eccentricity/WGlB4NBn">eccentricity</a> of less than 1; this includes the special case of a <a href="/facts/Circular_orbit/sSFMzmBv">circular orbit</a>, with eccentricity equal to 0. In a stricter sense, it is a Kepler orbit with the eccentricity greater than 0 and less than 1 (thus excluding the circular orbit). In a wider sense, it is a Kepler orbit with negative <a href="/facts/Specific_orbital_energy/TvB2yk8a">energy</a>. This includes the radial elliptic orbit, with eccentricity equal to 1. They are frequently used during various astrodynamic calculations.
In a <a href="/facts/Gravitational_two-body_problem/vWg6qg9X">gravitational two-body problem</a> with <a href="/facts/Negative_energy/2TgPAeto">negative energy</a>, both bodies follow <a href="/facts/Similarity_(geometry)/Sbd6hEAN">similar</a> elliptic orbits with the same <a href="/facts/Orbital_period/94f56uh2">orbital period</a> around their common <a href="/facts/Barycenter/Fw9renao">barycenter</a>. The relative position of one body with respect to the other also follows an elliptic orbit.
Examples of elliptic orbits include <a href="/facts/Hohmann_transfer_orbit/qjhbKTLX">Hohmann transfer orbits</a>, <a href="/facts/Molniya_orbit/uGEqtoSw">Molniya orbits</a>, and <a href="/facts/Tundra_orbit/6HoUtCFB">tundra orbits</a>.

Elliptic orbit open-in-new

Elliptic orbit