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Circles are special cases of elliptical orbits, where the radius remains the same length all the way around. Ellipses are more natural, considering the way solar systems form. The debris around a star coalesces to form planets. As these grow larger, they slightly perturb the orbits of their neighbors. Sometimes planetesimals (small components of planets) crash together to form a larger sphere. This can induce increasingly greater deviations from a circular orbit, as well as causing axial tilt.

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What has elliptical orbits?

As an elliptical orbit is any orbit that isn't perfectly circular, everything has an elliptical orbit. The planets Mercury and Pluto have the most elliptical orbits of the planets, and are easily seen to be oval shaped. Comets also have highly elliptical orbits.


Are the orbit of planets circular and How may their path be best described?

No, the orbits of planets are not perfectly circular but are elliptical in shape. The path of planets around the Sun can be best described using Kepler's laws of planetary motion, which state that planets move in elliptical paths with the Sun at one of the foci of the ellipse.


Do all planets have eliptical orbits?

No, not all planets have elliptical orbits. While most planets in our solar system have nearly circular orbits, some planets, like Mercury and Pluto, have more elliptical orbits. Additionally, exoplanets outside our solar system can have a variety of orbital shapes.


Why your planets revolve in elliptical orbit rather than circular orbit?

Planets revolve in elliptical orbits due to the gravitational influence of other bodies in the solar system. As planets interact with each other, their orbits can become elongated or slightly off-center, leading to elliptical shapes rather than perfect circles. This is a result of the complex dynamics of the solar system.


What is the shape of the orbits of the planets around the sun?

The orbits of the planets around the sun are generally elliptical in shape, with the sun located at one of the foci of the ellipse. This means that the distance between the planet and the sun varies during its orbit.

Related Questions

What evidence do you have that the planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun and not in circular orbits?

Elliptical orbits of the planets around the sun actually match what we observe. Newton's Theory of Universal Gravitation states that planets will move around the sun in elliptical orbits.


What has elliptical orbits?

As an elliptical orbit is any orbit that isn't perfectly circular, everything has an elliptical orbit. The planets Mercury and Pluto have the most elliptical orbits of the planets, and are easily seen to be oval shaped. Comets also have highly elliptical orbits.


Are the orbit of planets circular and How may their path be best described?

No, the orbits of planets are not perfectly circular but are elliptical in shape. The path of planets around the Sun can be best described using Kepler's laws of planetary motion, which state that planets move in elliptical paths with the Sun at one of the foci of the ellipse.


Do all planets have eliptical orbits?

No, not all planets have elliptical orbits. While most planets in our solar system have nearly circular orbits, some planets, like Mercury and Pluto, have more elliptical orbits. Additionally, exoplanets outside our solar system can have a variety of orbital shapes.


Does all planets have elliptical orbits?

Yes, none of the planets in our solar system have exactly circular orbits, though some are more eccentric than others.


Why your planets revolve in elliptical orbit rather than circular orbit?

Planets revolve in elliptical orbits due to the gravitational influence of other bodies in the solar system. As planets interact with each other, their orbits can become elongated or slightly off-center, leading to elliptical shapes rather than perfect circles. This is a result of the complex dynamics of the solar system.


What shape are the planets orbits?

The planets in our solar system orbit the Sun in elliptical paths, which are elongated circles. These orbits are shaped by the gravitational pull of the Sun and the planets themselves, following Kepler's laws of planetary motion.


Do planets orbit the sun in a circular direction?

No. Planets orbit the Sun (or some other star) in ellipses.


Are the orbit of planets circular How may their path be best described?

The orbits of planets are actually elliptical, not perfectly circular. An ellipse is a stretched-out circle. The shape of a planet's orbit can be described as an ellipse with the Sun at one of the two foci.


Why do planets have circular and elliptical motions in the solar system?

The scientific explanation lies in Kepler's laws of planetary motions, which were discovered by Newton to be linked with the law of gravity. All the planets have elliptical orbits, and many of those are close being circular.


Among elliptical orbits are some more circular than others?

Yes some elliptical orbits are more circular than others


If the planets' orbits were circular would their distance from the sun always be the same?

Yes. However, the orbits of all planets are elliptical. Some planets, like Earth, have a very low "eccentricity", which is a measure of how non-circular they are. Earth's orbit is not quite circular, but fairly close. Other planets, like Mars, have more eccentric orbits, and their perihelion and aphelion distances are substantially different.